The Legend of Queen Zelda and the Ocarina of Time
by Earl of Rosshire
Summary: This is a LOOSE novelization of the game told (once I post the modern sections) as a retrospective. Will not only tell the story of the game, but delves more deeply into the societies of the Realm of Hyrule, mentions its relation to the rest of the UK.
1. They Have Each Other

Author's Note:  This work started as a novelization of the game "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," and though differing from the original work does bear SIGNIFICANT similarity to the original.  The original, and many characters are Copyrighted by Nintendo Games, Mr. Shigeru Myamoto, and other fine creative people.  Other aspects are inspired by, or owned by J.K. Rowling, Simon Schama, Sir Walter Scott,  Ms. Rumiko Takihashi, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, and other luminaries.  All other material, including excessive length, new characters, new insight into old characters, and the fermenting of cheap ale over burning witches is entirely mine, and I solemnly declare copyright and copyleft to the same!  If you are going to rip me off, at LEAST cite me, and make the bloody mess readable!  Also, be thou warned!  This is NOT the Rt. Hon. Mr. Myamoto's pseudo-Tolkenesque world, but a ficticious artifice imposed upon the real one!  Purists who are offended by these words are owed no sympathy, for they have been warned!  Note also that due to my luddite unfamiliarity with the posting system here, the following chapters are from Part II, "The Boy Without a Fairy."  Parts 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 may be created and posted as appropriate, if this small sample proves satisfying to both you the reader, and me the maniacal egotistical author.  Also note, to those who read the dates in the chapter headings who have the profound question—when does Link die?  ***SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER  _He Doesn't._  SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER*** Chapter 1 (Monday, 20 March AD 450; The Day Before the First Day of Spring) 

In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule, long have the Kokiri had their guardian spirit to live with and watch over them.  That spirit was known as the Deku Tree.  The Deku Tree provided nuts for most meat, and seeds to grind for bread.  His leaves provided both vegetable for their table and fibre for their cloth.  He provided counsel for their leaders, blessed their marriages and births, and protected their forest from all who would do her harm. He provided each Kokiri with a guardian fairy at birth, to be their companion, friend, and teacher. 

However, there was one boy who did not have a fairy.  His name was Link.  He was an orphan of the Hyleans whom the Deku Tree took in as an infant.  Link was taken care of, raised, and loved as a Kokiri child.  But guardian fairies are bonded to the heart.  The heart of a Kokiri will naturally bond to a guardian fairy, nourishing it and giving it life.  The heart of a Hylean, or any other Non-Kokiri mortal, cannot love like a Kokiri.  If the Deku Tree gave a guardian fairy to a Non-Kokiri, it would starve to death rapidly and horribly, without the Non-Kokiri knowing it was there.

When Link was adopted, some argued against it, because Link was not a Kokiri.  They did not want to see harm come to the boy.  He came to them an orphan of the wars, in the arms of his dying mother.  But they could not risk their homes and families to being devastated by a giant outsider from within their midst.  And, when your biggest men are no more than four foot tall, even a small Hylean is a giant.

They also argued that even IF Link grew a Kokiri heart living with them, he would still grow to be a giant.  Being so much bigger, they argued, he would eat much more food than any normal Kokiri.  In rich times, he would be a burden, and in poor times, all would suffer, especially him.  If he took a fairy with him, it would only encourage other Hyleans to send their children to be raised by the Kokiri.  They would become the world's orphanage, and the strain of providing fairies alone would be more than even The Great Deku Tree could stand.

Others argued just as strongly that Link should not only be adopted, but receive his guardian fairy immediately.  They claimed that the Kokiri heart was not a birthright, but was given to each Kokiri by all the others as they were raised.  They argued that depriving the child of a fairy was worse than depriving a child of love.  And all the Kokiri knew that to deprive a child of love was the cruellest, most hideous way to commit murder.  In a society where even warriors killed only of necessity, and animals were seldom hunted, to murder was impossible.

They also reminded everyone of The Duke.  He was a giant in the eyes of his own people.  At eight feet tall, he TOWERED over the Kokiri.  His size was part of why he had been called "The Hylean Deku Tree."  But he had always brought his own food, and could still fit in most Kokirish homes without breaking them.  If a Hylean could be so thoughtful, how much more so a Hylean child, raised to be a Kokiri.  Besides, the Kokiri had not only never known a famine, but their surplus even in hard times was almost obscene!  Children used the Deku nuts, which exploded with a flash of light and a loud pop, as toys to frighten each other.  The seeds were used in slingshots.  There were ALWAYS fresh Deku leaves.  Deku leaf fabric, though soft as silk, was almost indestructible.  Leather tanned with Deku leaf juice lasted almost forever without any other finishing or care.  If Deku nuts and seeds didn't make anyone not raised on them violently sick for weeks, and if it didn't take the skill of a Kokiri to spin and weave their cloth by hand, the Kokiri could feed and clothe the realm and themselves even in times of famine.  Besides, even with the wars, the realm had not seen famine in the memory of anyone alive.  Nor could any living person remember talking to anyone who had.

And, they continued, The Duke fought for the Kokiri time and again without ever being asked.  His love for the Kokiri, his courage in battle, and his many victories for the Kokiri, even when his Hylean King was unhappy with The Duke's fighting for them were the true reason for his being given this honour.  The Duke of Hyrule was even given a fairy.  True, it was the old Chieftain of the Battle Fairies and drew its nourishment from The Deku Tree, but it WAS a fairy!  They also reminded everyone that The Duke of Hyrule had just one day ago died in battle fighting the Gerudo for the Kokiri, along with their War-Chieftain and their Wizard.  While The Duke's wife and infant were both already murdered, and this child's mother had just died, he WAS born a Hylean.  The Kokiri owed The Duke the raising of the child.  If it was not his, at least it was of his people. 

The Deku tree decided that Link would be taken in and raised as a Kokiri, but without a fairy.  His heart as an infant was big, but only Hylean.  If, when he turned eleven, he had a Kokiri heart, he would receive a fairy.  If his heart was not truly Kokirish, he would be welcome to visit if he wished to remain friends with the Kokiri.  But, he would have to leave the Kokiri and become the Hylean that his heart said he was.  For among the Kokiri, eleven was the age when all Kokiri boys were considered men.  They were then allowed to marry, and required to help fight if The Deku Tree alone could not defend the forest.

So, Link was without a fairy.  He was also obviously different from the other Kokiri children.  Not only did he have no fairy, but there was no green in his body.  His hair was almost, but not quite blond, having a slightly reddish tint.  His eyes were brilliant and piercing like the Kokiri, but blue.  His fair skin tanned evenly in the summer.  The eyes of all Kokiri were green, brown, or red.  If their hair was blond, it was light blond.  More often, it was red, black, or green.  And Kokiri always freckled, sometimes in green.  The features of his face were finely sculpted, and of normal proportion to his size.  Hyleans and Kokiri both would consider him "cute," and guaranteed to become "handsome" when he finished growing.  But his ears were round, like those of the Hyleans, not sharply pointed as those of the Kokiri were.  At a yard and six inches, and six and a half stone, he already had the stature of a fine Kokiri Warrior.  But in four short years, he stood a good chance of doubling that!  It wasn't always not having a fairy that his friends sometimes made fun of.

Still, there was much that Link had.  First, he had a Kokiri heart such as no one had ever seen.  Though some still thought that Link would leave the Kokiri, or that he might have to leave when he grew to his full size, all agreed that Link had a Kokirish heart, and was therefore Kokiri.  They also knew that it was no longer a matter of if Link received his fairy, but when.  He also had the love and respect of all the Kokiri.  He was a friend with all the other children, even when they teased him, because they were never really mean.  Even Mido, who WAS mean to Link, and jealous of him too, loved and respected him deep down in his heart.

He had the mentoring of the Helfdane twins; whose given names were known only to themselves, their life-mates, and two others.  These twin men were the greatest warriors and legend-tellers alive.  When Link was not out gathering, or playing with his friends, he studied the art of war and the legends of old.  He was good with a slingshot at stationary targets, fair with moving targets, and almost a prodigy with a sword.  He was known by all to be better with a sword and shield than Mido, who was not only five years older than Link, but was Chieftain of the Kokiri and had been since his father Weldo had died.

He had the skill of both weaving and silversmithing.  He had mastered the art of using the loom and spinning wheel when he was seven.  The whole village admired his fabric, yarn, and thread.  Even more amazing, he was almost a journeyman silversmith, or a "sitting" silversmith as the Kokiri called them.  The only task he had to demonstrate before he "officially" graduated from his apprenticeship was the magic box whose needle always found the North Star.  Apprentice silversmiths were never allowed to try one of these until they were declared men.  Since Link was the only boy ever to master everything else by the age of nine, he was allowed to work as an "almost sitting" silversmith until he was eleven.  He would then, it was expected, make a magic box for the master, and be a "fully sitting" silversmith.

He had the courage to do the right thing, and the wit to find the right way to do almost anything.  When he was nine, Mido taunted Link saying, "If you had any courage, you'd climb to the top of The Great Deku Tree right now!"  Mido knew that most Kokiri would be too scared to climb that high.  He also knew that children were not allowed to climb The Great Deku Tree, because it was disrespectful.  Even Mido could touch The Great Deku Tree only when the Tree told him to.  Any child who would not stop from fear would be stopped by his fairy.  Mido thought that he would either make Link look scared to his friends or get him in trouble so he could punish Link.  He was wrong.

Link approached The Great Deku Tree, received its permission, and climbed it in full view of all the Kokiri.  Link gained respect for his courage and wit.  Mido was laughed at because his mean trick backfired.  Mido resolved not to do wrong to hurt anyone again, but he still couldn't be nice to Link.  He was jealous of the greatest gift Link had.

And that gift was the love of Saria, in whose lap he rested his head while napping.  Saria stood one yard and eight inches tall and weighed five stone.  She had green hair, green eyes, and her skin was without blemish.  Her ears were less pointed than most, but Link, with his round Hylean ears didn't care.  Even with this flaw, all the Kokiri proclaimed her the most beautiful of their women.  She and Link were off in the Sacred Forest Meadow celebrating their birthdays.  Saria had just turned thirteen that day, the age when Kokiri girls were declared women.  Link would be eleven on the morrow.

They snuck to the meadow alone to mend each other's clothing.  The mending of another's clothing was a very intimate act among the Kokiri, whose modesty was a proverb throughout all of Hyrule.  Their parents made a Kokiri child's clothes, or the community if they were orphans until they were around seven.  After that, they made their own clothing until they took life-mates.  Once they took life-mates, each would make the other's clothes.  A cobbler was an honest trade, but to the Kokiri, a tailor was like unto a prostitute.  As for Link and Saria, neither had worn clothes not made by the other for four years.

They not only made each other's clothing, but also shared every other Kokiri intimacy except for sex.  They did their sewing cuddled in each other's arms.  They could gaze into each other's eyes, the gateway to the heart, for hours.  They would change clothing in each other's presence.  They would sometimes bathe and groom each other.  They even dreamed in unison from time to time, which some Kokiri didn't do even _after_ they were married.

This would have scandalized the Kokiri had they known, but they would not be surprised.  For Link and Saria were both orphans.  Saria's mother had died in childbirth, and her father Sarchan had died with Weldo and the Great Hylean Duke.  They had the ideal difference in ages according to Kokiri custom, and had been fast friends as long as either could remember.  They were also both very intelligent, and fast learners.  While the Kokiri of that day didn't shun intelligence, they were a simple people in many ways, and choose life-mates of the same level as themselves.  Had they both been born Kokiri, their wedding would have been a surety.  Even as things were, it wasn't so much doubted as just not thought about.  Those who did think about it, even Mido who desperately wished he could change things, never doubted anything but the time of the marriage, and if there would be grief for the young lovers later on.  Link and Saria were still shy of telling their own feelings about each other.  They were also uncertain of the other's feelings toward them.  But that was only one level.  On all other levels, the ones beyond words, they _knew._

He had just finished the last of her new clothes, a sweater of the finest deku wool when he dozed off.  She let him sleep because he had not been sleeping well these past five months.  That was because of the nightmare.  In his nightmare, he was alone, in front of a large building that looked like the descriptions he'd heard of Hyrule Castle Town.  It was dark, and there was a bad thunderstorm.  Link was standing in front of the building when a woman and a girl rode out and past him.  He didn't know who the women were, but he knew he was sworn to protect them from harm.  As they rode past, the girl looked at Link with fear in her eyes.  The fear was not of _him_, but _for him.  He had no time to wonder at this, because a huge man with red hair and black armour rode out of the building on a black horse.  The man would stand at least six feet tall if dismounted.  His hairline was receding, and he wore a jewel in a gold bracket on his forehead.  The man had an aura of pure evil.  He __knew that this man had murdered his parents.  He also knew that it was his duty to stop the man from riding past, and everyone would suffer if he failed.  But he had no sword.  He had no shield.  He didn't even have a deku nut to throw at the man.  _

Sometimes, he tried to run, but he couldn't run.  Sometimes he tried to look for a rock, but none were to be found.  No matter what he tried, the nightmare always ended the same, with the evil man bearing down on him and hitting him with a ball of lightning, his last moments being pure terror.  The nightmares were so intense he would almost wet the bed.  They were so bad that at first he wouldn't even tell them to Saria, and he had _no secrets from her!_

He was starting to have the nightmare now.  Saria was glad Link had gotten some peaceful rest, but she wasn't going to have the nightmare ruin their afternoon!  It was also mid afternoon, and they had been in the meadow since early that morning.  She knew they wouldn't be surprised.  The last part of the path to the meadow was a maze filled with mad deku scrubs.  These unpleasant weeds would shoot deku nuts at you.  These hurt badly, and could sometimes even kill.  Because of this, they _always_ had the meadow to themselves.  Because of their two ladders, the one always hidden where only they knew where it was, they always made the trip safely.  But they would be missed.  And wild deadly beasts were starting to wander closer to the Lost Woods at night.  While it was not dangerous like the great Hyrule Field, she didn't want to roam the forest at night, not even with her "Brave Kokiri Warrior" as she sometimes called him.  She jabbed his side, and he awoke.

Before he could say anything, she kissed him full on the lips.  He returned the kiss, and then sat up.  They moved to each other's sides, and held each other.  "You were starting to have the nightmare," said Saria.  

Link replied "And you knew."  

"Link, the clothes are a fine birthday present.  Shall you have me wear them for you?"  

"Saria, I would like that very much.  And the clothes you made me outdo the ones I made you.  But my birthday is not 'til the morrow."  

"You shall have them today" Saria told him.  "You will be called to see The Great Deku Tree.  I would not have him see you dressed poorly."  

They took off the clothes they were wearing, and each dressed the other in the clothes they had made.  This is the first part of the Kokiri marriage ceremony, and normally brought them great pleasure; but not today.  For puberty had started to visit Link early.  And Saria, like most Kokiri women, had had her first period at the age of nine.  Kokiri normally are aroused only by their life-mates, or ones who would very soon be life-mates, whose heart was already connecting to theirs.  This was precisely the problem!

Their dressing each other, which had started almost as a friendly taunting of each other, got serious, and speeded up quickly.  They realized that the genie was starting to climb out of the bottle.  What was worse was that Link would not even be a man until tomorrow, and had no fairy!  Had he been a day older, and had a fairy, they might have decided to slip and enjoy it.

The punishment for a man and a woman who deflowered each other before betrothal was embarrassing, but not severe and easily lived down.  First, the offending couple is brought before The Great Deku Tree to see if their hearts are bound to each other.  If not, both are banished from the forest, the harshest punishment the Kokiri have.  But since Kokiri must be joined at the heart before they can even be tempted to sex, _no one_ had ever been banished for that.  Once passing this test, the couple would be required to play their wedding song to each other with all the Kokiri watching.  In a normal Kokiri wedding, the couple composed and played their song where the music could be heard, but they could not be seen.  Each Kokiri's playing of the ocarina was like their voice, and all who heard knew who was getting married.  But Kokiri modesty required that no one _watch the marriage.  After that, the couple is forced to stay on opposite sides of the village for one week, not even to see each other, talking to each other only with their ocarinas.  But Kokiri tradition declares the marriage consummated not with sex, but with the playing of the wedding song.  The same tradition does not require, but prefers proper Kokiri to wait at least seven days before "exchanging flowers", or the honeymoon.  Since most Kokiri just can't wait that long otherwise, one will leave for a week anyway, though not required by tradition, and ocarinas are how they call their hearts to join in company when separated.  Once the week of forced separation is over, all is forgiven right then.  As years pass, the memory becomes an endearment, not a reproach, and all is well.  If a Kokiri adult has sex with a child, even if by only one day, both are banished immediately._

They finished getting dressed almost in a panic.  Seeing each other done, they hugged tightly, but with plenty of space below the waist.  After a minute, both the arousal and panic had passed.  Both silently vowed to each other never to do that again until the night of their wedding, should that come.  Saria excused herself to an old basin from the temple ruins to wash herself.  Link, for the first time, turned his back to her while she did so.

After Saria finished washing, and they both straitened their clothes, they rolled their old outfits and started back to the village.  Since they never varied their style of clothing, and their clothes were always kept in good repair, no one would think long enough to look and notice that their clothes were being worn for the first time.

As they walked, Saria asked Link "When will you accept my pledge?"  For among the Kokiri, it was the women who proposed to the men, but only when they knew the man would accept.  

Link answered "Saria.  I will be a man tomorrow.  If fate is kind to us, I might finally get my fairy.  You are today a woman, but I am still a boy.  I can not answer that question as a boy to a woman."  

"_But when?_" Saria insisted.  

"Soon, Saria.  Soon."


	2. His first Commission

Chapter 2 (Tuesday, 21 March AD 450; First Day of Spring) 

"Navi… Navi, where art thou?  Come hither…"  So spoke the mind of The Great Deku Tree.  This woke Navi from a dream.  Navi was the last of the great battle fairies of old.  In fact, in the later days when the battle fairies protected the forest _without their Kokiri warrior partners, Navi was War Chieftain of the Battle Fairies.  After that, she was liege-fairy to the Great Hylean Deku Tree, the Duke of Hyrule.  After that, she had been sick, and in retirement.  She felt much worse today.  In fact, she was dying of starvation!_

The Deku Tree had been ill for the past five months.  The remaining Battle Fairies had all been crippled by Ganondorf's magic curse, like Navi had been, the day she was rescued from death by the Duke.  But she had fought at the Duke's side, making his aim truer, his voice more powerful, and giving wise counsel to ensure the Duke's success.  The day the Duke was murdered, there were only five left, including her.  Idle retirement was killing them.  By the time The Tree fell ill with its curse, she was the last one.

And, thanks to The Tree's arrogant pride, she might not last the day.  If The Tree had listened to her five months ago, the curse would be lifted, and they would both be feeling better.  She would have taken some Kokiri, killed whatever was eating at The Tree's heart, and sealed their entrance hole on the way out.  She could have done it with ONE warrior.  She could have done it with The Boy Without A Fairy, who's life was precious to her above all who still lived, though she was honor-bound not to go to him.  She could have even done it with that lazy Mido, who was not much more than a chieftain in name only, and would _never be the equal of his father Weldo.  Now Weldo, __he was a War Chieftain…  But no time to waste.  The Tree might have actually come to its senses!  "I can't even answer telepathically, I'm so weak!  Damn that stupid Tree anyhow…" she thought to herself, not caring if she was heard or not.  She managed to fly to the ground, where the Deku tree could still see, if barely.  "I'm here, Great Deku Tree!" she squeaked weakly._

"Oh, Navi the Fairy…" said the Deku Tree.  "Listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree… Dost thou sense it?  The climate of evil descending upon this realm…

"Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule.  For so long, The Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world.  But…before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing…

"It seems that the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey… The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth…  Navi…go now!  Find our young friend and guide him to me…  I do not have much time left.

"Fly, Navi, fly!  The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!  But don't think of bonding to him!  His heart is Kokirish, but could never balance with a battle fairy!"  With that, The Deku Tree gave Navi a burst of life-force and sent her on her way.

"Bond to a _Hylean_?" Navi thought.  "_Never!  Not even __that one, unless __his life depended on it!  I'd sooner die first, and probably will today!"  She flew down the path to the Kokiri village.  She passed Mido at the entrance to the path.  "Arrogant no-talent twit!" she thought to herself as she flew past.  A couple of younger Kokiri, and a couple of guardian fairies said hello to her as she raced past them.  They didn't recognize her, though.  Battle fairies, when weak, crippled, and near death, look no different than guardian fairies.  Since no one had seen her in years, no one recognized her, or the true import of her flight.  She flew headlong into the slat of a fence on a ledge, almost knocking herself out.  She got up, shook her head, and flew into Link's house._

Link was asleep on his bed.  He had just finished having the nightmare again.  Navi was _blind_ in her fairy-sight, but could sense the fear, and some of Link's life-force.  Navi was disappointed.  She thought to herself "He has no courage!  I guess it's a wasted trip.  I'll just get a little sip of life-force from him, and be on my way.  A brave kid wouldn't miss a drop, and a coward like this will never know.  She gently took a sip from Link's life-force.  Her fairy-sight came back a little bit.  She was surprised by what she saw.  "No coward here!  If I was just an eleven year-old Hylean, and I had _one_ nightmare of Ganondorf, this house would be a sewage pit from my fear!  He's had this nightmare for as long as the Tree has had the curse, and this bed's _never _been soiled!  Heart's bigger than I thought, too!  Just another sip won't hurt…"  She took another sip from Link's life-force and almost got sucked in whole!  "Whew!  Almost got stuck!  That kid's heart _is Kokirish, and a big one at that!  I didn't know it was possible!"  _

She looked around Link's house.  "No sword, no shield, no money.  The sword will be no problem, but the money for the shield…"  She looked into Link's mind.  "Let's see…the Helfdanes have instructed him well, he may do all right…  deku shield will cost forty Rupees, now how to get him to borrow a sword from the Hole of Z…no problem there.  Kid's eleventh birthday.  I show up and say Deku Tree, he's off like a lightning bolt.  Mido will insist that Link get a sword and shield just to waste Link's time.  I think I can get the attention of at least one of the Helfdanes, get some rupees there… the help plants in the Hole of Z are always good for a rupee or two… he'll have to take Weldo's fairy sword anyway, it's always good to get more from help plants…got it!"  With that, Navi proceeded to wake Link from his restless slumber.

"Hello, Link!  Wake up!  The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you" Navi announced loudly.  Link was still out cold  "Link, get up!" Navi shouted again.  Link was almost awake, but not quite there.  "Great" Navi thought.  "I'm dying here, and this kid needs a light show to wake up.  But at least I can _do a light show.  I haven't felt this good in months."  Navi started to fly around Link's face, up and down, just out of reach.  As she did, she sparkled, throwing off bright speckles of light.  While she did this, she shouted "Hey!  C'mon!  Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"_

This finally woke Link up.  In fact, Navi had his full, awe-struck attention.  Link was looking at her, hoping he was awake, _knowing that Navi was _his_ fairy, after all these years.  Navi thought "Tree, you had better have enough life in you to give this kid a proper fairy.  Otherwise, he and I are coming back with a saw!"  She said to Link "You finally woke up!  I'm Navi the fairy!  The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on!"  _

Link breathlessly stammered "NNNice to mmmeet you!"  

Navi thought "Tree, add a plow and lots of salt to that list!  You hurt _this_ kid, you don't deserve kids either!"  She said "Nice to meet you!  The Great Deku Tree has summoned you!  So let's get going, right now!"  Sure enough, as Navi figured, Link was off like a flash!  He ignored his breakfast, which Saria had set on the table just an hour before Navi arrived.  He also ignored his ocarina, which Saria had set on the table with his breakfast, as he had forgotten it in the meadow the day before.

Normally, if he had not been awakened by Saria's smell, pretended to sleep, then quickly eat the breakfast, he would have still eaten it as soon as he got up.  Then, he would quickly make a breakfast and sneak it into Saria's house while she was still out visiting with her other friends.  For Saria was the early riser of the two, but Link moved much faster, and was the "sneakier" of the two.  She usually didn't catch him, and when she did catch him, she hid and let him finish.  This didn't happen every day, but they did it fairly often.  This was just another little ritual between young lovers.

Today, he was so excited, he _almost_ ignored Saria!  He might have actually missed her, so excited was he.  But she saw Navi and shouted "Link!  You finally got your fairy!"  

Link replied "Yes, Saria!  We finally did!"  He embraced her, lifting her off the ground, and spun around.  They kissed quickly but passionately.  She then slapped Link, or at least appeared to.  Her hand gently caressed his cheek, once it actually got there, and she slapped her thigh with her other hand for the sound.  

"Link!  Behave yourself!  That is not proper for a young _man to do!"  She said this forcefully, with less than no sincerity, and both knew the true meaning.  "__Link, you are now a man, as soon as you get back from The Great Deku Tree!  You have a fairy!  We both love each other, else how could we be so close in every way possible!  Take me properly, before I take you publicly!"  Kokiri women, when their boyfriends and they truly loved each other, but where neither found the courage to propose and marry properly, had been known to fail to passion's temptation publicly.  This was even more embarrassing than the public wedding that followed, in spite of the fact that at __those public weddings, no one would dress the couple, nor allow them to fetch clothes to dress themselves until after they were housed on opposite ends of the village!_

"I have to see The Great Deku Tree right away!" Link said excitedly.  

Saria replied, "You mustn't keep The Great Deku Tree waiting, then.  Hurry back!"  With that, she kissed him again, not even bothering with appearances, and left for Link's house.  She knew she would make her own breakfast this morning.  She also knew that Link had not eaten his, yet.  As it was a cold breakfast, it would keep until Link got back if she covered it.  If he went to her house first, she would have him follow her to his house, and they would share it.

The two continued along the path and turned to the right.  He almost ran into April, one of the twin girls who were a day older than Saria.  She said "Link!  You have a fairy!"  

Link answered "Yes, April.  I've also been called to see the Great Deku Tree right away!"  

"I won't keep you then.  Good luck!"  

Link continued to run at full speed, Navi struggling to keep up.  He swam the creek, and went to the mouth of the Great Deku Tree's meadow.

There, he encountered Mido, the Chieftain of the Kokiri.  Mido asked "Where do you think _you're going, Mister No-Fairy?"  _

Link answered, "Mister Chieftain, I was sent for by the Great Deku Tree.  He asked that I see him immediately!"  

"And why wasn't _I_ told about this?" Mido asked.  

Navi answered, "Perhaps I didn't have time to waste telling you, Mido!"  Navi startled Mido!  He looked up, and saw the fairy hovering over Link's head, but didn't recognize _whom_ she was.  Navi was obviously irritated at the waste of time.

Mido continued "Ok, Link.  You aren't 'Mr. No-Fairy' anymore!  But you still need a sword and shield to see the Great Deku Tree, and I won't let you pass unless you come back with them!"  

Link asked "But _you_ don't have _your_ sword and shield with you?"  

Mido answered, "That's different.  I don't need my sword and shield with me to see the Great Deku Tree.  But you do, because this is your day to be proclaimed a man."  Though the requirement was almost never enforced, it was still a requirement.  

Navi said "Link, let's go get your sword and shield.  We don't have any time to waste."

As Link crossed the creek, Navi asked, "Do you know about the Hole of Z?"  

Link answered "Sure, Navi!  It's the 'hole of last resort,' because the Kokiri are a people of peace.  We keep most of our arms there, to remind us of this.  Only a Kokiri is small enough to get in to the main chamber, and nimble enough to avoid being crushed by the boulder that rolls around in there."  

"Good!" Navi replied.  "You will be getting the Fairy Sword from there, right now."  

"But Navi, isn't that a little much for seeing the Great Deku Tree?  Mido isn't even allowed to carry that sword, except for Samhain festivals."  Navi hesitated, and then replied, "You go to pay honour to The Great Deku Tree.  Why not honour him with the best you can borrow, seeing you don't own a sword of your own."  

"But shouldn't I at least ask the Helfdanes first?" Link asked.  

"I'll take care of that, Link!  I'll go ahead of you.  Wait by the entrance to the hole."

As Link walked ahead, Navi flew to one of the Helfdanes, who was standing by the entrance to the Hole of Z.  The warrior greeted Navi.  "Battle Fairy!  It's been a long time since I saw you abroad!  You are looking ill."  

Navi answered, "Brother warrior, the time of Destiny is upon us!  The Deku Tree is dying from Ganondorf's curse!  He had me get Link to lift the curse!  How are his skills?"  

"His skills are fine, Navi!" the warrior answered in his mind, so only Navi could hear.  "But why didn't the Tree send for either Link or someone else sooner?  I asked it how it felt only two weeks ago, and it said that it was just recovering slowly from last winter's snow."  

"I don't know, warrior!  I'm having Link borrow the Fairy Sword.  Has he used it?"  

"No, Navi, but he should handle it as easily as any other.  He is a natural with the sword.  Does he know why he's being called?"  

"Not yet, warrior.  I will tell him what he needs to know, at first.  He seems brave enough, but his destiny is scary indeed!  I don't want him distracted by all of it right away."  

"Will the tree recover if Link succeeds?"  

Navi thought a moment.  "No, the tree will die by sundown tomorrow, if it lives that long."  

"Will it keep its word to Link?  His heart is larger, and more Kokirish than anyone I've known."  

Navi thought again.  "I don't know, warrior.  I'm not sure it can still _make_ a guardian fairy.  Perhaps, if Link succeeds in his destiny, the Tree's son will keep its father's word for it, if the Tree can't."  

"Could _you_ be Link's fairy, Navi?"  

"No, warrior.  I am too large, and too ill.  If I tried to bond to Link, I would surely kill him.  And by not bonding with him, I assure my own death.  Perhaps I'll outlive the Tree by a day, no longer."  

At that moment, Link walked up.  "Good morning, Warrior Helfdane!  Has my new fairy asked you about my borrowing a sword yet?" he asked.  

The Helfdane answered, "Yes, Link.  This will be the first time you've carried the Fairy Sword.  Even if you only carry it to pay respects, I will want you to go through the training course with it before you leave.  You will also need a shield.  After you go through the training course, we will talk about that."   The Helfdane said silently to Navi, "Come to your senses, Navi!  Link will _never_ complete his quest without a fairy!  Far kinder to him to kill him now, if that will happen, than to have him die alone on some far away field!"  

"We each have our swords to bear, warrior!" the fairy replied.  "If I am bonded to Link, it will be by fate!  Otherwise, fairy or no, Link has his quest.  He must try, whether he has a chance or not!"

Link and Navi entered the narrow opening to the Hole of Z.  The opening was in fact a tunnel, barely big enough for a Kokiri adult to crawl through.  They came out the far side eight feet later.  Link turned to the right.  He watched for the boulder.  As soon as it made its turn, Link chased it through its path.  It turned left, and he followed.  It turned left again, and he turned right.  He walked up to a large wooden chest.  He opened the chest, and took out the Fairy Sword, which was sitting on top of the other swords in the chest.  He strapped the scabbard to his back; then he drew the sword itself.  Satisfied with the way he had the scabbard secured, Link started to sheathe the Fairy Sword.  

Navi stopped him.  "Link, cut that plant over there."  

Link did this, and was surprised to feel a coin suddenly appear in one of his short pockets!  He quickly took the coin from his pocket and stared at it.  He was five rupees richer than before he swung the war-blade.  

"How did that happen, Navi?" the astonished Link asked.  

"Link, that is part of why I suggested the Fairy Sword.  It will not only protect you as any other sword, but should you need it, it will extract what you need from some of the wild grasses and plants throughout the realm.  That's what happened here.  It will also help you find rupees in tall grass, even without cutting the grass itself."  

"Ok, that gets me five rupees closer to buying a new shield.  But where will I get the rest of the money?  With the travelling peddlers being late this year, I've not sold any cloth.  I have only the five rupees in my pocket."  

"We will find the rest of the money quickly enough.  Let's get out of here.  The Helfdanes will want to see you use the sword on the training course before they let you take it to see the Deku Tree."  They waited for the boulder to come around again.  Link chased the boulder down the path again, following in its first left, then running straight to get back to the tunnel.  He crawled through the tunnel, and back out to the village.  He wandered a short distance to his left, and found six more rupees!  Twenty-nine to go.

He walked back to the training course, and met the Helfdane again.  The other Helfdane joined them.  One said, "Link, the sword looks good on your back.  Let's see how good it looks in your hand.  Go to the beginning, and run the course!"  

Link went to the beginning.  He demonstrated thrusts, jabs, parries, horizontal chops, and vertical chops.   He demonstrated the quick spin, and the deliberate spin.  He did back-flips, jump attacks, side jumps, and rolls both forward and backward.  In the process, he also cut the quick growing weeds that were the primary targets, and collected six more rupees.  Twenty-three left.  The Helfdanes were impressed.  

One said, "Link, that was good work!  To honour that, and your eleventh birthday, we will not only allow you to borrow the Fairy Sword, but will give you this gift of six rupees.  Please take it."  Link accepted the gift.  

"Thank you, noble warriors!" he said, bowing deeply.  

One said, "Brother Link.  You don't need to bow to us anymore.  We are still elders, to be respected, but you are no longer a boy!  After you return from the Great Deku Tree, you will be a man!  You owe us no more and no less then a clasp of the hand."  Link shook the hands of the two warriors.  

"Brother warriors, I must take my leave of you.  I need to find the rest of the money to buy my shield.  I'm keeping the Deku Tree waiting.  Today, of all days, I mustn't do that!"  

The other Helfdane answered, "Go with fortune, Brother Link.  The Tree will wait for necessity.  Just don't waste time."

Seventeen rupees short, Link started walking toward his house.  Navi said, "Look over by Saria's house.  There are some weeds there.  If you cut them, you might find more rupees."  Link cut the weeds, and found seven more rupees.  On his last swing, he hit a rock.  In frustration, he grabbed the rock and heaved it into the side of the valley wall, which ran behind Saria's house.  It broke, and he had five more rupees!  He climbed to the top of Saria's house, and walked along the Wizard's Walk.  This walkway, which Saria's father Sarchan put up many years ago, was still solid.  It was also good for five rupees.  Link had just enough for the shield!

He jumped down from the walk, rolling to break his fall.  He ended up in a tall pile of grass.  He not only didn't lose any of his newly found wealth, but he picked up two more rupees!  He jumped across the three jumping stones to the village store, and found five more rupees!  He said to Navi "Is the Fairy Sword bringing all this money?"  

Navi answered, "Yes.  But not everyone can carry a Fairy Sword.  Most Kokiri don't do as well as you have.  Let's go get the shield, we don't want to keep the Great Deku Tree waiting!"  As they entered the store, Navi was still marvelling.  She was being totally open with Link about the sword, the only thing she had been that honest about all morning!

Link walked into the store, and walked up to the counter.  The storekeeper said "Good morning, young Link!  I'm glad to see you finally have a fairy!"  

Link replied to the storekeeper "Thank you, and good morning, Mister Dion!  I need to buy a shield."

Dion, who had heard some of Mido's exchange with Link earlier that morning, was going to do something almost unthinkable.  He was going to let Link buy on credit.  Since Kokiri seldom _need to buy _anything_, the thought of someone buying something, and paying for it later on was unheard of.  But Link needed that shield now.  It would cause Link hardship for months if he didn't get it quickly.  Link was also scrupulously honest in all his dealings.  If Link agreed to pay for something on such and such a date, his word was almost as good as rupees in hand.  Besides, he had two full bolts of cloth on consignment from Link for when the traders finally came in from Hyrule Castle Town.  Each bolt would easily bring sixty rupees.  So, Dion wasn't worried about being paid.  He was surprised just the same when Link counted out forty rupees on his counter!  _

"How did you raise the money, Link?  I know you have been waiting on the travelling peddlers, and thought you were broke!"  

"I've borrowed the Fairy Sword from the Hole of Z.  It helped me find the money from the weeds and grasses."  

Dion looked at the boy, and realized he was telling the truth.  He looked up at the fairy, which he had paid almost no attention to before.  He recognized Navi from years ago.  He realized that something was terribly wrong.  

Navi told him in his mind "Silence is golden, Dion!"  

Dion collected the money, and handed Link a deku wood shield.  He also handed Link a 'T' shaped device with straps on it.  "Link, you've been a good and honest customer.  You've also been a friend.  Now, you will soon be a man.  It is only right that I give you a present to honour this day.  This 'T-frame' will help you, should you have to travel.  You can hang your shield on it, so you don't have to carry it on your arm all the time, but you'll still be able to get the shield quickly if you need it!  You will also be able to put a bag on it, to carry spare clothes, a bedroll, and so on.  Please take it."  

Link accepted the T-frame, and put it on.  After adjusting it, he hung the shield on the back of it.  He tried getting the shield back off.  It almost flew onto his arm!  He put the shield back on the T-frame.  He said "Thank you, Mister Dion!  I don't know how to repay you!"  

Dion answered, "With your gratitude, you already have.  Besides, you've been a good customer, as well as a friend!  We've both done well doing business with each other, and will do even better as the years go by!"  

"I must be going!" Link answered.  "The Great Deku Tree is waiting on me."  

"Go with fortune, Link!" Dion answered.  Link and Navi left the shop, and crossed the creek.  They walked back to Mido.

Mido was surprised they were back so soon.  It had been only two and a half hours since he had turned them away.  He thought that he would have delayed Link all morning!  He was even more surprised that Link was carrying the Fairy Sword!  The Helfdanes wouldn't let _him touch it, except during the Samhain festival, and he was the Chieftain!  They told him that it was only for battle!  He said to Link "I see you found yourself a shield, and a T-frame to go with it no less.  And what is __that?" he exclaimed, pointing at the hilt of the Fairy Sword.  "You borrowed __The Fairy Sword?  Good Grief!  How did _you_ get to be the favourite of Saria _and_ the Great Deku Tree, huh?  Fate forbid me from slowing you down any more, _brother warrior!_  Go with fortune!"  Mido stepped aside.  _

Link answered "Thank you, brother Chieftain!"  Link wanted to say a _lot_ more, but he didn't have the time.  Link and Navi continued up the path.

Mido continued thinking.  "The Fairy Sword is only for battle, huh?  But the Helfdanes would _never_ make excuses, and have no tact for me in them!  If they thought I didn't deserve to touch the Fairy Sword, my father's blade, they would tell me just like that!  But Link is carrying it now, as if it was his!  And his guardian fairy was _Navi the battle-fairy!_  The last time _she had travelled in the company of another, the wars were still being fought!  I'd better see the Helfdanes _now_!  Something's horribly wrong, and I should have known about it!"  Mido ran to the Helfdanes' house, to learn some hard truths about life in the coming years._

Link and Navi were approaching three tall blue flowers that were growing along the path.  The flowers stood about six feet tall, and looked like blue tulips.  These were no ordinary flowers, though.  They were deku babas.  The deku babas were related to the deku trees, and were magical plants.  They grew to attack anything that came near them!  These plants had just sprouted overnight, and could only spin around and snap into the air.  But once these deadly plants were fully mature, they could spin around and bite anything within six feet of where they were rooted!  Navi said, "Link!  Watch out for those deku babas.  Cut them with your sword, but don't let them bite you."  

This sobered Link up completely!  He did as he was told, but still got nipped by one of them.  Each one, when killed, yielded a deku stick.  Navi told Link "Pick those sticks up, and put them on your pack.  You will need them all too soon!"  

Link did this, and asked "What's going on, Navi?  This is not just being initiated as a man."  

"You're right, Link!  You are being called on for something far more important.  You are a man now, being called for this task is itself your initiation.  The Great Deku Tree will tell you more.  Watch out!"  

Link cut one of the deku baba again, just before it took a bite out of him!  It yielded another deku stick.  The other two were just growing back.  Link cut them down again, and picked up the sticks.  Navi said "You can carry ten deku sticks on your pack.  Cut the deku baba four more times, then we need to see the Great Deku Tree itself."  Link did as Navi told him, and they both entered the Great Deku Tree meadow. 


	3. For the Soul of the Guardian

Chapter 3 

Navi was back in the Great Deku Tree meadow, Link standing below her.  Link had been there over a year ago, when Mido had dared him to climb the Great Deku Tree.   He still marvelled at the size of the meadow, which was as large as the centre of the Kokiri Village.  But the meadow was still almost completely filled by the Great Deku Tree.  At the ground, its roots almost touched the edge of the meadow.  Above that, the main part of its trunk was almost three hundred feet in diameter.  The main part of its trunk was at least nine hundred feet tall!  He remembered how scared he had been climbing it, but it was healthy then!  Now, the Tree, his guardian, and guardian of all the Kokiri, was obviously ill!

Navi announced their presence.  "Great Deku Tree…I'm back!"  

"Oh… Navi… Thou hast returned…" replied The Great Deku Tree.  Navi looked in horror at the tree… Its decline in just the past three hours was chilling.  The tree looked like it might not live to the end of the day.

"Link… Welcome…" The Deku tree continued.  "Listen carefully to what I, The Deku Tree, am about to tell thee…  Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares…  As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it.  Verily, thou hast felt it.  Link… The time has come to test thy courage…  I have been cursed…  I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage.  Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?"

"Yes, Great Deku Tree" Link replied.  "But I am just a boy.  Is it possible that I can help?"

The Deku tree told Link "Thou art surely a man now, though thou still be young… Thy courage will help thou win…  Navi will guide thou …  Enter, brave Link, and thou too, Navi…  Navi the fairy… Thou must aid Link… And Link… When Navi speaks, listen well to her words of wisdom…"  The Deku Tree opened a portal into its heart, almost as if it were a mouth.  Link and Navi went inside.

Link and Navi were astonished at the inside of the Great Deku Tree.  It had been made into a labyrinthine dungeon, typical of the evil magician Ganondorf had become.  The main chamber resembled the inside of a castle tower.  It was two hundred feet in diameter, and at least that tall.  A spiral catwalk went around part of the inside, and a circular catwalk was close to the "ceiling" of the chamber.  There were vines on the walls in several places, and large spider webs everywhere, including over a large hole in the centre of the floor.  There was a ladder to Link's left, behind a deku baba.  To Link's right, there was a section of vines, with some fairy help plants to the right.  This looked like the better choice.  Link's life force was lower than it should have been, because Navi had to sip from it to keep alive and able to function.  If she didn't have him recover his life-force from one of those help plants, he wouldn't last long.

Seeing this chamber, Navi knew that the Great Deku Tree had already waited way too long.  The Tree might finish dying before they even found the immediate source of the curse, let alone lifted it.  Navi thought to herself "This isn't too bad as far as dungeons went, though I always preferred sacking them to solving them.  Ganondorf couldn't possibly confine himself to a place so rustic, as he loves only stone and desert.  He only left a magic monster behind, probably a giant spider by the looks of things.  Should be a perfect training ground for the kid.  Pity I won't live long after the victory!  I'll just take another small sip of Link's life-force, direct him to that fairy help plant over there to top him off, and we'll get down to business."

As she sipped at Link's life force, she accidentally brushed his heart with her tail.  This time, her tail was instantly drawn into Link's heart!  She started to struggle, then panic.  She didn't want to kill a boy, especially not this one, but her dried, tired body was doing just that.  Or was it?  For the life force was strong Kokiri life force, not Hylean.  Was Link really his father's boy?  And no modern Kokiri could take the shock her body was administering to his heart, but his heart was still strong.  Navi was feeling stronger than she had in years.  She could _see now, not just with her eyes, which now worked perfectly, but with her mind also, as a proper Battle Fairy should!  Raising her body up now, it was no longer a hard burden to put off light!  In fact, with being out of practice, she was having trouble restraining it!  In this Hylean child was a Kokiri Warrior of old, and he had the makings of a good one at that!  But Link did stagger.  _

Navi looked more closely.  She saw that her accident would not only preserve her own life, but probably Link's as well.  For his heart was indeed fully Kokirish.  And while Kokiri had been known to live without fairies, that life was particularly fragile.  In Link's circumstances, with the difficult times he would surely have ahead of him, the lack of a fairy would indeed have been fatal.  

Yet it was not a fairy he lacked now, but life-force itself!  His heart was huge, but not limitless yet.  She had sapped his life-force by over two thirds!  Fortunately, it was Kokirish life-force that flowed from his heart, so his normal diet and sleep would easily sustain them both.  It _was time to hit that help plant though._

"Link!  To your left!  Those are fairy help plants!  Cut them with your sword now!  And don't get too close to that deku baba yet!"  

Link staggered to the help plants, and did as he was told.  The plants had enough life-force to heal Link and Navi both.  _Now, they were in business!_

"Navi, what just happened to me?" asked Link.  "And why did cutting that plant help?"  

Navi answered "Link, it's what happened to _us, remember?  You see what's happened to The Deku Tree?  How much life-force do you think I could draw from it?  I was as close to death as this tree is, until just now.  I tried to hold off until I had got you a little closer to those plants, but I didn't quite make it._

"When a guardian fairy is bonded to a Kokiri, they are normally both newly born and in perfect health.  They don't feel the joining of their bond because both are full of life-force.  I am an old guardian fairy, who was nearly starved to death.  I am bigger than a newly born fairy, and was almost empty of life-force.  You felt the life-force level out between the two of us as we bonded.  Do you know what life-force is?" 

Link replied "Not really, Navi.  Please tell me."

"Life-force is the energy in your heart that keeps you alive.  And by heart, I mean that place where you love, think, feel, and _are_, the place where your body and spirit are joined while you live.  Every living creature has _some_ life-force.  How much depends on what the creature is, how healthy it is, and so on.  Old fairies like me, who can see life-force measure it in Hylean hearts, or just hearts for short.  A Hylean has one heart at eleven years, and no more than three connected hearts at their strongest point in their life.  Their life force container shrinks from age and wear on the body, and breaks when they die.  A Kokiri has two almost separate life force containers at eleven.  Their hearts hold more than a Hylean heart container, and the life-force itself is stronger.  But they normally grow no more.  Their hearts are almost unaffected by age, and Kokiri survive physical injuries easier than non-Kokiri peoples.  But their hearts can be injured directly much more easily by grief, loss, and loneliness.  This is why the loss of a life-mate is usually fatal.

"You are different from all that.  You have _three Kokiri hearts now!_  Since the number and size of heart containers is tied to your body, and grows when your body does, you will probably have _six_ when you are fully-grown.  This will make you almost unstoppable in battle.  You will be like the Kokiri Warlords of legend!"  

Link said weakly "But what about…"

"Saria?" Navi finished, reading Link's thoughts.  "I don't know how many hearts she has now.  I was almost blind with starvation, and a fairy needs to see perfectly in the magic way to gage hearts.  But as strong as her love is for you, they must be large.  Even numbed at the brink of death, I felt it strongly!"  Link blushed as Navi continued.  "If you want her to have the same number of hearts of life-force as you have, that can be done, but she'll have to travel with you.  When you defeat a magical monster, like the one we're looking for, you can usually capture its life-force heart right after you kill it.  If you do, and hold it to your chest, your body will absorb it.  The residue of the monster's life force, purified and cleansed of evil by its death, is very powerful indeed!  You will not only recover all life force you've lost to injury, but you will have an extra heart's capacity for life force as long as you live!  But even a Kokiri with a fairy cannot carry the heart except by absorbing it forever.  Some magicians have found ways to preserve life-force hearts so that Hyleans, who normally can't absorb or even touch one, can handle a life force heart, and so the life-force heart doesn't spoil, for normally they disintegrate in a minute or two.  The coating allows Hyleans to absorb the heart and increase their life-force capacity, if they can eat it within about an hour.  The coating even makes them visible to people without fairies.  This allows these magicians to trade in hearts removed from wherever.  But this coating does not work for those of Kokirish heart.  The Kokirish life-force radiates a power that dissolves the coating instantly!   The second you touch one, it's _yours!_  No magician would let you hold one unless you paid first, and you could never bring one home with you.  You _can_ take her to the markets with you after you're married.  Then, you can buy them for her.  Remember this, though.  They can't preserve whole hearts.  They are preserved and sold in fourths.  When you absorb a fourth, it will heal you of any sickness or injury.  But otherwise, it just sits there, doing no harm, but doing no good until three more pieces join it.  The pieces will meld, though.  If you get four of the same quadrant, or if you get four pieces from four hearts cut differently by the magician, they will still become a healthy heart.

"But we must get going!  Look to your left.  See how the vines are growing on that section of the wall?  We might be able to climb them up.  Let's go!"  Link tried to climb the vines.  They easily supported Link's weight, and he quickly climbed up to the catwalk.  He looked to his left.  The catwalk sloped down, to the ladder, and a very agitated deku baba.  To his right, the catwalk climbed up to a large wooden chest.  Behind the chest, there were more vines.  Three large spiders were on the vines.  Link walked up the catwalk.  

As they walked, Navi said "Link.  Those large spiders are skulwaltullahs.  Stay away from them for now.  We need to open the large wooden chest."

Link was in front of the chest when Navi finished speaking.  The chest was four foot tall, four foot wide, and three foot deep.  The top half was a rounded lid.  Link kicked the lid with his left foot.  The lid sprung open.  Link leaned inside the chest, and pulled out a sheet of parchment.  It had an almost magical feel about it.

"That is the dungeon map, Link!" said Navi excitedly.  

"Who made it, Navi?  And why should we trust it?"  

"It was made by whoever made the dungeon, Link.  And even evil magicians have to follow some rules.  In order for a dungeon's magic to work, there should be at least one true magic map, and there cannot be any false ones!  If there is a false map, then it makes all the evil magic a simple lie, and it is dispersed!  But if there is a map, the evil magician can hide rooms in the dungeon that _can't_ be found without the map!  The map chest can also be booby-trapped if the dungeon is large enough.  This dungeon is small, though, and the Great Deku Tree's good magic reduces the strength of the evil magic in here."  They looked at the map.  There was a room that opened to the end of the catwalk, on the second floor.  Link walked towards it.  About half way there, the catwalk was missing for a length of five feet.  Link jumped the gap with a running start, and walked to the end of the catwalk.  He turned left, opened the door, and walked into the first room.

As he walked into the room, a deku scrub raised out of the floor.  Link raised his shield, and Navi helped him aim it.  The scrub shot a deku nut at them.  Without help, Link was pretty good at reflecting these attacks.  With Navi's help, he easily hit the deku scrub with its first shot!  Right after the scrub was hit, iron bars, which had been blocking the door to the next room, withdrew into the ceiling.  Link drew his sword and went to finish the scrub off.  It spoke, which surprised Link, though he didn't let it know of his shock.  

"Spare me, master, and I will tell you a secret!  If you do a roll attack when you land, you can jump from great heights without getting hurt!  I can't guarantee it working, though, if you jump from _really great heights!  Try it if you dare!"  Link waived his sword at the scrub, motioning it to leave.  It giggled quickly, and disappeared!  _

"Navi.  Should I have killed that scrub?"  

"No.  You won't see it again, anyway.  Unlike the mad deku scrubs you're used to, that kind is very difficult to kill.  If you let it go, it puts down roots far away.  It also remembers you.  If you let it go without trying to pursue it, it won't _ever_ attack you again, or anyone with you."

"What were the bars over the other door, Navi?  And why did they pull up into the ceiling when the deku scrub was hit?"  

"Link, those bars are called a portcullis.  They are normally found in castles, to provide an extra gate behind a drawbridge.  When you find them in dungeons, it means that you must either defeat a monster or solve a puzzle to leave through that door.  Let's see what is on the other side of the door, Link!"  Link opened the door, and they entered the next room.

The room was about forty feet square.  The first half of the floor dropped about twelve feet from the level of the entrance hall.  The back half raised twenty feet from there, with climbable vines on either side.  There was a large chest on the other side of the room.  Off to the left, on the other side of the room, was a small alcove, twelve feet from the floor there, with climbable vines leading up to it.  Above the end of the entrance hall, there appeared to be a ladder stuck in some spider webs above the end of the hall.  Floating in the middle of the room, there was a floating platform.  Link jumped to the platform.  When he landed on it, it started to shake.  He jumped quickly to the back half of the room, right before his jumping block fell out from beneath him and vanished!

He looked back towards the entrance hall.  There _was_ a ladder above it.  There were no vines at all on the wall, though.  It would be almost impossible to knock the ladder down with a deku stick.  

Navi, reading Link's thoughts, said, "If we have to, we'll be able to get that ladder down!  Let's open the chest, and then check the alcove out."  Link opened the chest, which was a twin to the one that held the map.  Inside were a slingshot and a bag full of deku seeds.  Navi said, "That's a _fairy slingshot_, Link!  It's more powerful than an ordinary slingshot.  It will make a good weapon."  

"How much tougher will it be to use, Navi?"  

"Not at all, Link!  Kokiri, like you can use it easily!  But non-Kokiri can't use it at all!"  

"But will I…" Link started to say, with just a little fear in his voice.  

Navi cut him off, saying, "If you weren't Kokiri, you wouldn't be bonded with me!  Let's shoot the ladder _now, to prove my point!"_

Link put a seed in the slingshot.  Navi helped him target the middle of the ladder.  He drew the seed back almost effortlessly, and released it.  The seed flew with almost the strength of an arrow!  It hit the ladder squarely, shaking it loose from the spider webs.  It fell perfectly to the ground, right in front of the entrance hall!  

"Now, Link, we've secured our way out!" Navi announced with satisfaction.  "Let's explore that alcove."  

Link was speechless.  He climbed up the vines into the alcove.  In front of him was a small chest, about two feet long and tall, and one foot deep.  He kicked it open, and felt a rush of energy and health.  

"That is what happens when you find life-force, and don't need it, Link!" said Navi.  

"Ok, Navi.  Is there anything else in here we need?" Link asked.  

"No, Link.  Let's get going."  

He climbed down the vines to the main room, and down more vines to the lower part of the room.  Before they climbed the ladder, Navi had Link cut the help plants again.  One gave up a rupee, the other gave up some deku seeds!  "These help plants and other plants you cut with the fairy sword, will give you many different things you need, Link.  Sometimes, they will give you deku seeds when you are running low."  They climbed up the ladder to the entrance hall.  They walked through the hall, the room where the deku scrub was, and back to the catwalk.

"Now that you can kill the skullwalltulahs, it's time to climb up to the circular catwalk." Navi said.  Link jumped the broken catwalk section, and ran to where the chest stood.  He shot the first giant spider, and it fell dead to the catwalk.  A deku nut rolled out of it!  "Link!  Grab that deku nut!  When you kill a monster with the fairy slingshot, you sometimes get treasures from them."  Link grabbed the deku nut, and aimed at the next spider.  It yielded three rupees.  He collected those, and aimed at the third spider.  It fell very close to Link, and yielded three more rupees.  

"Link!  Don't let them fall on you, even when they're dead!  They will still hurt you!"  

"Sorry, Navi!  I didn't think I was that close."  

"Just be careful, Link!  When you get hurt, I feel it too!  It doesn't injure me, but it still causes me pain!  And if _you_ run out of life-force and die, I will quickly die, too!  I'm not ready to die yet Link, thank you very much!  Let's climb the wall."  

Link climbed up the wall, to the catwalk overhead.  To actually get _on the catwalk, he had to climb up, down, sideways, up, sideways again, and drop._

He looked around.  Up in the spider webs, he saw a _large_ spider!  Its body was slightly larger than Link!  Link asked "Navi, what is that huge spider?  Can I kill it from here?"  "Link, it's a Big Skulltula.  You can't kill it from here with what you have.  Its shell is too strong.  But they attack only when they're suspended from their webs!  Get close, but not so close it can reach you.  It will drop, and show its underside to lure you closer.  You can kill it by stabbing its underside twice, or shooting its underside twice with your slingshot.  I recommend the slingshot when you can use it.  When you hit it the first time, it spins rapidly!  It also attacks if you are too slow stabbing it.  If it hits you with one of its legs, it will hurt you badly."  Link approached the giant spider carefully, slingshot drawn.  He stopped when it dropped to his level.  When it spun its underside to Link, he shot it with his slingshot.  It spun rapidly, and raised itself up towards the ceiling.  It dropped down again and showed its underside as before.  Link shot it again.  This time, it dropped to the catwalk, and disintegrated.  Navi said "Good work, Link!"  The two continued to explore the catwalk, walking counter-clockwise around the main chamber.  They killed a second big skultullah, and this one gave up three rupees.  Link grabbed the two that fell on the catwalk.  The third one fell to the floor of the main chamber, and disappeared.  

"Link, when you get treasure from a monster, it only lasts a short amount of time.  If you don't grab it quickly, it's gone.  The treasures are always good, but sometimes, the treasure is meant to distract you from other monsters that you are fighting at the same time.  Always remember this!  If you have to choose between claiming a treasure and attacking another monster to preserve your life, ignore the treasure!"  "And live to fight another day?" asked Link.  "Right, Link!"  "I've never wanted much from life, Navi.  Your advice should be easy to follow."  "We can all be tempted, Link!  Just be careful.  We need to explore the room to our right."

They entered the room, and a portcullis immediately slammed shut behind them!  Link looked around the room.  It was lozenge shaped, forty foot in diameter by one hundred feet long.  He was standing on a platform, about fifteen foot deep that filled his end of the chamber.  On his platform were two torches, only one of which was lit.  On the far end of the chamber was a platform that was the same as the one he was on.  On the left were two fairy help plants.  On the right was a deku baba, waiting to pounce.  In the middle was a large chest.  There was an alcove on the left side of the center of the room.  A big skultullah blocked it, and it contained a small chest.  The middle of the room was twelve feet below the two platforms.  There were three pads in the middle of the room that didn't match the rest of the floor.  The only climbable vines in the room led back up to the platform on which he stood, and were guarded by a deku baba.  He examined his platform more closely.  There was a unusual grayish gold block with sloped sides next to the lighted torch.  It was about a foot and a half tall, and two foot square at the base.  Link asked Navi "What is that block by the lit torch?"  Navi examined it and said, "It's a floor switch!  It might raise the three platforms in the middle of the room.  Step on it, Link!"  Link stepped on the floor switch.  The three platforms raised up, and they heard a loud ticking noise!  "Quick, Link!  Jump across to the large chest, before the platforms lower again!"  Link jumped across the platforms, and ran straight to the large chest.  He ran so quickly, that the deku baba didn't even have time to snap at him!  He opened the chest, and found a blue metal item that just filled the palm of his hand.  It had a glass top, and a needle was suspended inside it.  "That's the magic compass for this dungeon, Link!"  "What's that, Navi?"  "A normal compass has a iron needle in it, that is made to always point at the North Star.  Many people think they are magic, but all good magicians and silversmiths know it's only a force of nature put to use."  "I remember!" answered Link.  Gowan the silversmith said that all I had to make for him before he declared me a sitting silversmith was a magic box that always found north, but he wouldn't show me how until I was a man!"  "That's right, Link!  A normal compass is easy enough to make.  But _this compass _is_ magic!  It will help you find important things in the dungeon, including the master's keep, where the monster you must kill is located!  But it will only work in _this_ dungeon!  After you've defeated the master monster, and collected any other treasure out of a dungeon, it is useless except as a souvenir.  Because its body is made of iron, you can't even make it into a normal compass, and there is no way to remove the crystal.  In fact, the crystal is actually _solid_, the needle is a magic apparition!  Let's hit those help plants, then go to the floor of the dungeon.  We may have to open the small chest before we're allowed to leave, and we'll need to kill the big skultullah first!"  The help plants yielded deku seeds, filling Link's seed bag.  He jumped down to the floor of the main chamber and approached where the big skultullah hung._

It obligingly dropped down where Link could kill it.  After killing it, he turned his attention to the deku baba, which guarded the climbing vines back to the entry platform.  He killed it with a couple quick slices of his sword, climbed onto the platform, and stepped on the floor switch.  He jumped across the raised platforms to the alcove.  Inside the alcove, with the small chest, was an unusual spider.  This one had a mostly golden body, and spun around on the wall where it sat.  It made no attempt to attack Link, it only scratched around on the wall.  

Link asked Navi what it was.  She replied, "It's part of a curse that was placed on a very rich family because they were too greedy.  They were a father and his five sons, who ran a counting house.  A Hylean nobleman asked the family to let his family stay with them for a few days.  They refused, saying that it would cost them too much money.  The nobleman, who also knew some magic, was so infuriated that he cast the curse upon them, turning them all into giant skultullahs.  He then sealed the curse into one hundred gold skultullahs, which he scattered throughout the realm!  The family will remain cursed until all one hundred gold skultullahs are killed, or will die after one hundred years!"  

Link asked, "Was the nobleman just in doing such a horrible thing to those people?"  Navi said "Maybe at the time.  But this family has suffered long enough for their mistake.  Go ahead and kill the spider.  Shoot it twice with your slingshot."  Link did this, and it transformed into a gold skull shaped token.  Navi said, "Collect the token.  I can't help you find these spiders, or hit them, but once you've killed one, I can help you claim the token if you can.  If you find the family with the curse, they may reward you for killing the spiders.  If you don't find the family, you can melt the tokens down, for they are pure gold!"  Link answered "I won't want to carry too many of these things!  This one weighs five pounds!"

They turned their attentions to the small chest.  It contained more life-force.  This was not wasted, as Link had been nicked by the deku baba as he killed it.  They went back to the entry platform, to try to figure out how to open the portcullis.  Navi noticed the unlit torch sconce.  She said "Link!  It looks like this torch was burning not too long ago.  Maybe lighting it will open the portcullis?"  Link didn't have any better ideas, or for that matter any ideas at all.  He took out a deku stick, lit it with the burning torch, and relighted the extinguished one.  This opened the portcullis!  Link extinguished the deku stick and put it away.  He then looked around the room one last time.  Seeing nothing that looked important, he and Navi left the room, returning to the main chamber.

A quick look around the chamber told them that the three big skultullahs had returned to life, or at least the two Link had killed had been replaced.  Link killed the one closest to his left, and claimed deku seeds as his treasure.  He and Navi surveyed the main chamber from their lofty perch.  "It looks like we need to climb below the spider webs in the main floor, Navi!  I can see water below them.  But I see no torches close enough to light a deku stick to burn them away.  And they supported my weight when we walked across them!  Will my sword cut them?"  "Try cutting the web next to us, Link.  It's the same stuff!"  Link tried to cut the web, and failed.  He didn't damage the web at all!  "Link.  If you jump, you might break through the web.  It will be dangerous for us, but we have to try it for the Deku Tree's sake!  I can't think of anything else."  Link looked down at the web again.  It looked like it would stretch when he landed on it.  "Unless there's a bigger drop below it, we should do ok, shouldn't we, Navi?"  "I think so, Link.  We have to try, though.  Be ready for anything down there.  Sometimes I can see around corners, but I see no more than you do under that web!"  Thus warned, Link knew to be on his guard.  He ignored his fear, and jumped for the center of the web!

He hit it on the edge, though, and didn't break through!  He wasn't hurt, though, and he got a closer look at what was below the web.  The drop below the web was only forty feet.  The web would slow him down a lot, and if it broke at all, would release him lower than that.  There was water beneath the web to break his fall, so he would do ok unless he was attacked by something when he landed.  He and Navi quickly climbed back up to the top catwalk, killing the three skullwalltullahs, and one big skultullah along the way.  Link jumped again.  This time, he hit the web squarely, broke through it, and fell safely into the water below.

The shore on the southeast corner of the room was the easiest to climb onto, but there was a deku baba guarding it.  He swam to a shallow part of the water and stood up.  He was able to climb onto the northeast platform.  From there, he looked at the room as a whole.  The room was the same size and shape as the main chamber above, but not nearly as tall.  Checking the map, it connected with two other rooms on the same level.  There were climbing vines on the east wall, which led up to the main chamber.  There were platforms at the southeast and northeast parts of the room, and a third platform that took up the entire western third of the room.  The northeast and southeast platforms could be climbed onto from the water, but they could reach the west platform only from the room to the west.  On the northeast platform, where he stood, there was an unlit torch sconce, and a floor switch.  On the southeast platform, there was the deku baba, two help plants, and an area blocked off with spider webs.  On the west platform, there were four very tall torches, two deku babas, and a large brown stone block.  The block had a crescent moon and a spider painted on the one side he could see.  On the climbing vines, and on a set of wooden bars that blocked off an alcove on the north end of the rooms, were two gold skultullahs.  Link quickly killed them, claimed the tokens, and returned to the northeast platform.

He stepped on the floor switch.  This lit the torch sconse, burning away the spider webs that were covering it.  This also revealed a small chest.  He opened it, and claimed the life-force that was inside it.  He examined the southeast platform more closely.  There were spider webs where the door to the next chamber should have been.  He looked at the bottom of the pool.  The shallow part, which was less than six inches deep, ran unbroken from the northeast to the southeast platforms.  He had an idea.

He took out a deku stick.  He lit it from the torch sconce, and ran to the spider webs on the southeast platform, dodging the deku baba as he went.  He lit the spider webs, burning them away, just as the deku stick burned completely away and had to be dropped.  "Good job, Link!" Navi said.  Link opened the door to the next room.

The room they were in was about thirty-five feet in diameter.  It held four fairy help plants.  The door to the west, their right, was blocked with a portcullis.  As he entered the room, Link saw a deku scrub rising up to attack!  He raised his shield, and with Navi's help aimed it.  He hit the deku scrub with its first shot!  It begged Link for mercy as he drew the fairy sword!  "Please forgive me, master!" it cried.  "I'll never do it again!  If you spare me, I'll teach you something important!"  Link nodded for it to continue.  It said "You will never beat my brothers up ahead unless you punish them in the proper order.  The order is two, three, one!  Twenty-three is number one!  Do you think I'm a traitor?"  The scrub ran out of the room, leaving Link and Navi alone. 

"Should I believe it, Navi?" Link asked.  

"They are not known to lie outright, Link.  But they can sometimes be tricky!  His brothers will have no warning from him, but be extra careful just the same.

"Look at the west door.  The block with the eye carved into it is an 'eye switch.'  Shoot it with your slingshot and see if the portcullis raises."  Link shot the eye switch.  The eye, which was open, closed!  The portcullis rose.  Link cut the four help plants, getting two rupees, and refilling his seed bag.  He and Navi opened the west door, and entered the next room.

This room was thirty feet wide and sixty feet long.  The main part of the room was flooded.  A smooth topped raft moved quickly from Link's end of the room to the other.  It barely passed under a spiked log, which spanned the entire room, rotating like a deadly, unjumpable spit!  The platform on the other end of the room had no climbable vines.  It could be easily jumped onto, but only from the raft.  The raft was moving far too quickly for Link to climb onto from the water.  He looked more closely at the bottom of the pool.  On the south side of the bottom, right below the spiked log, he saw a floor switch.  

"Navi, do you think that the floor switch is worth a try?" he asked.  

"It couldn't hurt, Link."  

He jumped into the water and swam to where the switch was.  He dived down with all the force he could muster to push the switch.  The force didn't hurt, but wasn't needed either.  The switch tripped without any problem.  Link rose back to the surface.  The water level quickly dropped five feet!  They could also hear a loud ticking noise.  

"Link, that water must be timed!  Hurry!"  Navi didn't need to say this, though.  Link had already figured out what the ticking meant!  He quickly climbed up the ramp, which was on the south end of 'his' platform.  He jumped on the raft as soon as it crossed back to his side.  He ran to the far end of the raft as it moved toward the west platform.  He jumped up as far as he could as the raft touched the west platform!  He grabbed the edge, and pulled himself up.

He now surveyed the platform on which he stood.  It took up the westernmost twenty feet of the chamber.  It had two help plants in the northwest corner, and another large block along the west wall.  The block looked like he might be able to move it.  He would have to be able to move it to get to the west door, after killing the big skultullah that guarded the door.

He approached the big skultullah so it would show him its underside.  With Navi helping him aim, he dispatched it with two well-aimed shots to the underside.  He cut the help plants to refill his seed bag.  He then examined the block more closely.  It was sitting in a large groove in the floor.  It could only be moved, if he could move it at all, between where it was, and beneath the west entryway.  He grabbed it to try pulling it first, to see if he could do that.  He didn't think he would be able to pull it, but the block was lighter than it looked.  With his grip being strong, even for a Kokiri, he was able to pull it to where it needed to go!  He climbed up onto the block, then up to the west doorway.

The room they entered was thirty feet in diameter.  It held two help plants, two deku baba, and three torches, two of which had gone out.  There was a portcullis over the other door, which opened to the north.  Link said, "Navi, it looks like the torches may open the portcullis.  What do you think?"  Navi answered, "I was thinking the same thing, Link.  Of course, we should also kill the deku baba first.  They may be what keep the portcullis closed, and they will be in the way, too!"  Link eliminated the two deku baba.  He was bit by the first one, and collected a deku stick from the second.  He cut the help plants, and was healed.  He then took the deku stick, lit it from the burning torch, and lit the other torches.  The portcullis raised, and Link put away the deku stick before it burned away completely.  "Link, saving your deku sticks is good.  But how did you figure that out?"  Link answered "Navi, I read at night sometimes.  I make my own candles.  Harvesting beeswax can be painful, and it takes time to spin the deku fibers into a good wick.  I'm used to lighting them only when I need them lit, and putting them out to be used again.  I just used the deku sticks the same way, out of habit."  "Good thinking, Link!" Navi answered.

She continued "But you won't need candles at night to read with me around!"  

"Wouldn't you have to stay up too, then?" Link asked.  

"Guardian fairies require almost no sleep themselves, Link.  We either sleep in your thoughts during the day, or in your dreams at night.  You can also speak to me in your thoughts, instead of speaking out loud, Link!"  Link blushed in embarrassment.  "Don't be embarrassed, Link!  Most Kokiri learn this because they get newborn fairies when they are born!  You got a grown fairy on the day you became a man.  You're learning a lot quickly!  Now let's see what the next room holds!"  They opened the north door, and entered the next room.

The room was slightly larger than the one they had left, and had two entry halls.  They were standing in the one on the south side of the room, the map showed one to the west.  A big skulltullah was blocking the door.  It was already showing it's underside.  Link killed this one without Navi's help.  He was about to walk into the room when Navi stopped him.  "Link, stop!  Look up at the ceiling!"  He did, and saw three white egg sacs.  Each one was three foot in diameter, had red blotches, and was wiggling!  Navi continued.  "Those are gohma egg sacs!  A gohma is something like a spider, except _much_ bigger, and tougher to kill!  Shoot the egg sacs down from the ceiling before they hatch!  I won't be able to help your aim, so aim steady!"  Link took aim, and shot down each egg sac one at a time.  They disintegrated before they hit the ground.

Navi spoke again.  "It looks like the master monster here will be a queen gohma.  If it has a chance, it will crush and eat you!  To kill it, you must first stun it by shooting it in its one eye!  It's eye gives off light, so it will be easy to see.  Once you've stunned it, attack its head with your sword!  After you land several blows, it will come around and retreat.  When it does this, use your slingshot to stun it again.  If you try to attack when it isn't stunned, it will eat you!  It can also lay hatching egg sacs when it's on the ceiling of the chamber you find it in!  If it climbs onto the ceiling, you must keep shooting to stun it!  If it lays egg sacs, they will hatch baby gohmas!  You will then have to kill them before you can attack the mother!  The mother won't attack while the young gohma are fighting, and it won't have to!

If you attack quickly and well, you won't have to face the babies.  You will only need to stun and attack the mother two or three times to kill her.  Let's finish exploring this room."  They found two fairy help plants along the north wall.  Link cut them several times, until he had refilled his seed bag.  They also found a withered deku baba.  Link killed it, and claimed a deku stick.  There were spider webs over the opening to the east entranceway, and an alcove to the north.  There was one lighted torch, in the west end of the room, right next to where the deku baba had been.  Link took the deku stick, and quickly burned the spider webs, burning the ones in the east entryway just as the stick burned up.  Link went back to the north alcove and looked at it.  Navi said "That alcove doesn't look as deep as the map says it should.  We may want to return here someday when we have something to knock down that back wall."

Link said, "You talk as if we won't be done when we've saved the tree.  Why?"  Navi didn't want to let Link know everything at once and get distracted.  She answered "You are already one of the best warriors of the Kokiri.  The Tree sent for you to save it!  It bonded you with me, not a newborn fairy.  Your intended life-mate is as strong woman, who loves you enough to travel with you, or tolerate the Tree sending you to do its bidding!  Who else would it send, when it needs to send someone?"  "But I'd have to leave the forest!" Link said.  "Kokiri aren't allowed to…"  

Navi cut Link off, saying, "It's the magic of the Tree that keeps the Kokiri in, and the dangers out!  The Deku Tree has sent warriors out in the past, to protect the forest.  It will have to send them again.  But you need to concentrate on lifting the curse _here!_  Let's crawl through the tunnel over there, to the next room!"  They went to the east side of the room, and crawled through the tunnel.

They were on the west platform of the room they dropped into.  One thing they could see from here that Link didn't see from the other side of the room was the hole in the floor, which was covered with a large spider web.  He tried to jump on it several times, but it would not break or weaken.  He looked through the web.  There was water forty-five feet below, and a climbing vine up to the edge of the hole that he could easily use to climb out.  He looked at the large block.  It was in a grove in the floor.  He could not push it into the hole, or move it to one of the sconces.  But he _could push it off into the water between the west end of the room and the northeast platform.  He could light a deku stick there, and run back to the web to burn it away, then climb down to the water below.  Or, if he fell through while burning the web, the drop was not bad, and the water would break his fall._

He pushed the block into the water.  He ran across to the northeast platform and lit a deku stick from the torch.  He then ran back, jumping from the northeast platform to the block to the west platform.  He swung his burning deku stick on the web as he ran over it.  The web burned away just as he reached solid ground again.  There was only one climbing vine patch, though, and it was right next to one of the deku baba.  He quickly killed the monster plant, claimed the deku nut it yielded, and climbed down the vines to the water below.

He was in a lozenge shaped room, one hundred feet long by eighty feet wide.  The pool of water he was floating in took up most of the room.  The north end of the room had three deku scrubs waiting for him!  He said silently "Navi.  Are those the three scrubs the other one was talking about?"  Navi answered, "I think so.  I can sense the queen gohma very close, so they would have to be them!"  Link was ready for them!

He climbed to shore between the second and third scrubs, almost ignoring the one on the left… for the time being!  He had Navi target him on the second scrub.  He hit it with its first shot!  He immediately turned to the third scrub, ducking a shot from the first one.  Navi aimed Link and shield, and the third scrub fired.  Link and Navi scored another direct hit!  They almost sprinted to the first scrub!  It was visibly scared, yet still fired!  With Navi's aim, Link vanquished the last scrub.  He cornered it, and drew his sword.  It asked, "How did you know our secret?"  Link answered, "We met a friend of yours.  He didn't ask us to greet you for him, but we do anyway!"  "How irritating!" the scrub responded.  "It's so annoying that I'm going to reveal the secret of Queen Gohma to you!  In order to administer the coup de grace to Queen Gohma, strike with your sword _while she's stunned._  Oh, Queenie!  Sorry about that!"  All three of the scrubs vanished.  The portcullis, which was blocking the door Link couldn't see from the pool, raised up.

Link took a quick look around the platform.  There were three fairy help plants along the east side of the platform.  He hit them, claiming more rupees, and refilling his seed bag.  He took a quick look at the map.  Sure enough, they were right outside of the queen gohma's chamber.  Navi said "Be sure to listen when I tell you something in there!  I will explain anything I tell you, but you will have to wait until _after_ we win!"  Link was afraid.  But he had learned the secret of overcoming fear years before.  He answered Navi "Right.  Steady my aim, and my nerves if I need it.  Let's get this _done!"  Link and Navi entered the queen's lair._

They entered an entryway nine feet wide and twenty-five feet long.  At the other end of the entryway was a room one hundred feet in diameter with a forty-foot high ceiling.  The queen gohma was up in the rafters, appearing to sleep.  Link was about to shoot at her when Navi stopped him.  She said "Save your fire!  You won't get a deku seed through her eyelids!"  Link relaxed his draw.  He made sure the lanyard on the slingshot was attached to his wrist, so he wouldn't lose it in the heat of battle.  He cautiously entered the main room, slingshot at the ready!  As he entered, a large stone door dropped from the ceiling, closing the only door behind him!  The queen gohma woke up, quickly crossed the ceiling, and dropped twenty feet in front of him!  It uttered a battle cry that would curdle stone!

It was a horrible beast!  It looked like a giant cross between a spider and a scorpion!  It had two huge legs, and a large scorpion tail, complete with stinger!  It also had fangs, but size alone with this monster could kill!  And it was _fast!  He had his first shot off before he realized, and scored a direct hit to its evil eye, stunning it!  But it had closed the distance by half!  He started with a jump attack, hitting the beast squarely with his fairy sword!  He then chopped, slashed, and stabbed as quickly and forcefully as he could!  He was so fast, he appeared almost a blur!  Chunks of gore from the beast flew almost to the walls of the chamber!  No person could have stood to Link's fury!  Yet this beast recovered enough to run back, and climb to the ceiling.  Link drew his slingshot again!  He fired shot after shot to keep the fiend from spawning young, and hoping to stun it again.  His ninth shot at the retreating monster scored, and the monster fell to the ground, stunned again!  Link led with another jump attack, then resumed his furious swordwork.  This time, he vanquished the beast!  It drew back, uttered one soul-shaking groan, and fell dead.  It quickly disintegrated, not with a flash, but with a fizzle.  Where the beast stood, a large heart-shaped crystal appeared.  It was filled with life-force, and even more amazingly, radiated __purity!  Navi said, "Well done, Link!  Grab that life-force container!  After you grab that, run to the light to your right."  As Link moved, he asked, "What is that light?"  Navi answered, "It is a magic portal.  When the wizard or monster of a dungeon is defeated, a portal opens up to take you back out of the dungeon!  That way, you don't have to fight your way __out of the dungeon!  Wizards _have_ to put those in too, or their magic will fail!"_

Link collected the heart container.  As he lifted it, he felt a sudden rush of strength, energy, and well being envelop him!  "Your heart is even bigger, now!" Link told him.  They moved to the light, and were carried out of the heart of the Great Deku Tree.


	4. A New Commission, But At What Cost?

Chapter 4 (Early morning, Second Day of Spring)  

Link and Navi were back in front of the Great Deku Tree.  It said silently to Navi "Thou hast bound to the boy, and he lives yet."  

Navi answered, "Yes.  It was fate, and carelessness.  I feared I would have killed the boy, else I _would_ have disobeyed you!  For you had no intention of keeping your word, did you?"  

The Tree answered "No, Navi.  I saw him two years ago!  His heart was already too big for an ordinary fairy, then!  It has grown stronger since!  

"When I took your kind away from the Kokiri, I vowed that the Great Kokiri Warriors would never terrorize the realm again!  Making them powerful beyond all the other peoples of the realm had been my biggest folly ever!  _They_ were why I blocked the Kokiri from leaving the forest!  _They were why I addled most of their minds!  And it was because of __them that I strengthened their bonds with their life-mates beyond all reason, so that the loss of one would kill the other!  _

"Never again, I vowed, would I allow a Great Kokiri Warrior to live!  I never would break my word before.  But to keep _that vow, I would break every word I ever uttered!  And __you, who had seen _all_ the suffering first-hand, who had to lead my people yourself in battle because of the wars the Great Warriors started with their pillages, would have agreed with this, _I thought._  But you create one in the giant body of a __Hylean!"  _

Navi shot back furiously, "Tree, I've served you loyally for too many years to take this!  _The boy's heart is PURE!  It will remain so for the rest of his life!"  _

The Tree answered Navi "I hope you are right!  For _this_ Great Kokiri Warrior will hold the Triforce itself!  If he falls, Ganondorf's evil will be as nothing!"  

"I will keep this boy's heart pure, Great Deku Tree" Navi answered.  The Tree groaned.  "I have looked into his heart again, Navi!  His heart _is pure!  He is fixed as a man, not likely to be corrupted.  But, for all his strength, he _loves_ like the Kokiri of these times!  Thou must keep him pure, and _alive!"__

This conversation lasted less than a second.  Link and Navi stood in front of the Great Deku tree.  Navi realized that even if the Tree _had wanted to give Link an ordinary guardian fairy, he had neither the strength to uproot Navi, nor make a replacement.  For Link __had to have a fairy from now on, or else he would die horribly!  The Tree had perhaps minutes to live.  Though the curse had been lifted, the Tree had waited too long, guaranteeing its own death._

The tree spoke openly to Link.  "Well done, Link…  Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage…  I knew that thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes…   Now, I have yet more to tell ye, wouldst thou listen?"  Link, still slightly stunned from the battle with Gohma, silently nodded his head yes.  "Now…listen carefully… A wicked man of the desert, the one thou saw in thy dreams, cast this dreadful curse upon me… This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule…  For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods… 

"Before Time began, before spirits and life existed, three golden goddesses descended on the chaos that was Hyrule: Din, the goddess of power; Nayru, the goddess of wisdom; and Farore, the goddess of courage.  Din, with her strong flaming arms she cultivated the land and created the red earth.  Nayru poured her wisdom upon the earth, and gave the spirit of law to the world.  Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms that would uphold the law.

"The three goddesses, their labours completed departed for the heavens.  And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses departed this world.  Since then, these golden triangles have been the basis of our world's providence.  And the resting-place of these sacred golden triangles has been known as The Sacred Realm.

"Thou must never allow the desert man in black armour to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce.  Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend…  That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power…  Because of that curse, my end is nigh…  Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started."  

Link said, "You say I lifted the curse, yet you will still die?"  He hung his head in grief.  

The Tree continued.  "Yes, I will pass away soon…  But do not grieve for me…  I have been able to tell you of these important matters…  This is Hyrule's final hope… 

"Link…  Go now to Hyrule Castle…  There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny…  Take this stone with you.  The stone that man wanted so much, that he cast the curse on me…"  

Link saw a glow of green light.  Reaching up, he took hold of an emerald the size of a baseball, set in a gold bracket.  This was the Kokiri Emerald, the spiritual stone of the Forest.  The weight it put on Link's small shoulders was far more than just its gravitational mass.  With this stone, the weight of the world was now his burden.

"The future depends upon thee, Link…  Thou art courageous…  Navi the fairy…  Help Link to carry out my will….I entreat ye… Navi… Good…bye…"  

The Great Deku Tree rumbled, and turned grey.  A few leaves fell.  The life-force of The Great Deku Tree departed, leaving the dead tree behind.  

"Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link!" said the obviously affected Navi.  Link and Navi left the Great Deku Tree Meadow.  "Good-bye…Great Deku Tree" said Navi as they left.

Link and Navi re-entered the heart of the Kokiri forest.  At the entrance, they ran into Mido.  The Helfdanes didn't tell Mido much, but what they _did_ tell him had him scared!  Seeing the sorrow on Link's face told him that Link wasn't successful in saving the Tree's life.  This had him scared even more!  

"Link!  What did you do?  The Great Deku Tree…did he…die?" he asked.  

"The Great Deku Tree was cursed," replied Link.  "I broke the curse, but it was already too late."  

Mido, in his fear, lashed out at Link. "How could you let The Great Deku Tree die like that?  You were supposed to save it, not let it die!  The Tree is dead now, and it's all your fault!" exclaimed Mido.  He then stormed off and disappeared.  Link was in a terrible mood.  Mido unknowingly avoided being beaten like a cheap rug.

One of the Helfdanes was standing in front of the village shop.  Navi flew over to him while Link was talking to Mido.  She told him silently "It was fate.  Link is now bonded to a guardian fairy—me!"  

The Helfdane asked, "Did you decide his heart was big enough for you after all?"  

Navi answered "No.  I accidentally brushed his heart with my tail, while sipping from his life-force.  I almost killed him!"  

"But he's now Kokiri forever, isn't he?" the Helfdane asked.  

Navi replied, "He is a Kokiri Warrior of old, complete with battle fairy.  But _his heart is pure, unlike the warriors of old!  He is truly the child of destiny, in the body of a Hylean!"_

The other Kokiri reacted differently from Mido.  Few even knew of the Kokiri Emerald, and Link told no one he had it.  But Link was no longer "the boy without a fairy" to be pitied.  He was no longer "The Kokiri Warrior" the butt of jokes for studying with the Helfdane brothers, whose valour had gone out of style.  He was The Kokiri Warrior with not scorn, but reverence.  He was the Hero who removed the curse from The Great Deku Tree.  He confiscated the life-force from an evil monster, purified it, and made it his own.  They were saddened and frightened because of the Great Deku Tree's dying.  But they didn't blame Link.  He had done all that could be done, and they knew it.  The Kokiri now saw a small part of what Saria had seen in Link all along, and were in awe of it.

He was asked where Hyrule Castle was.  He didn't know any more than they did, but told them he would find it soon enough.  He went to Saria's house, but she wasn't there.  He went to his house to gather his belongings.  He got his other set of clothes and bundled it up.  He looked for his ocarina, but couldn't find it.  As he was about to leave, he saw it on his table with a note underneath.  The note read:  "You left this in the Meadow.  The coat fits well.  S."  

He hoped Saria would stop by, but she didn't.  He didn't take long.  While he didn't know exactly where the castle was, he knew that it was over a day's journey from the Kokiri forest, and if he didn't leave quickly, that would mean two nights camped in Hyrule Field.  With the rumours of monsters wandering the field at night and attacking travellers, this was not a pleasant thought.  He went to Saria's house again, still no Saria.  He asked all through the village looking for Saria.  No one had seen her lately, but one of the twins said that Saria had been looking for him.  He had to leave.  As he walked towards the Lost Wood Bridge, he thought that he would have to pick up a gift for Saria as an apology for not seeing her in person.  She would still be mad at him, but Saria never stayed mad at him for long.  As he left the bridge gate, he was glad that Mido was still sulking.  He didn't want Mido giving him any grief; he had enough of a burden as it was.

As he was halfway across the bridge, he heard that familiar voice.  "Oh, you're leaving…" she said.  "I knew…that you would leave the forest…someday, Link…because you are different than the rest of us.  You can leave at will, where we are bound to the forest."  

It was Saria's voice.  It was Saria's body.  But it was a different Saria than Link had ever seen.  _This Saria was as sad as the one he knew had been happy.  __This Saria was as defeated, and beaten down by life as the one he knew had been unbeaten and unbeatable, no matter what life threw at them.  The Saria __he knew never doubted his love.  _That_ Saria might be mad that he allowed himself to be drafted for this quest, but would wait for him to return.  __His Saria might even insist on joining him, though it would be dangerous, and would require them to marry on the spot to not offend public sensibilities.  But __this Saria already saw her beloved leave her for good, only his body being slow out the gate.  If Saria was afraid he would die before he returned, fine.  If Saria just couldn't wait, fine too.  He loved her too much to try to hold her against her will.  But, if she wanted to leave him, she would have to admit it to herself, and to him!  Losing her alone would crush him.  To have her leave thinking he wanted her gone was more of a burden than he could stand, even without the rest of the world on his shoulders.  He turned and faced Saria, looking her squarely in the eyes.  He spoke._

"But Saria," Link began, "it hurts me to leave the forest now.  I am being sent by The Great Deku Tree to carry the Kokiri Emerald to Princess Zelda of Hyrule.  I am doing this because it _has_ to be done, not because I _want_ to!  I am fearful that the Princess will have me do more after I see her.  If I can avoid that without bringing shame to both of us, I will.  After all, the Princess has soldiers at her disposal.  What use could she have of a Kokiri, barely a man, even if that Kokiri _is_ good with a sword?  But even if this errand is made longer, I'll return here first.  And whenever I'm done with this burden, I'll never want to leave the forest again.

"Your love for me has been immeasurable.  I have known this for as long as I can remember.  You have always given freely to me, of your time, your friendship, your soul, and your heart.  For as far back as I can remember; you were always there.  When I needed a friend, you were the first.  When I needed someone to cry to, you dried my eyes and lent your shoulder, without making me feel less a boy.  When I couldn't sew, you showed me how to sew, and gave me a reason to do it well.  When I had trouble with the ocarina, you helped me put my voice into it, and gave me someone to sing to with it.  For this, I love you more than I will ever love anyone else, more than _anyone_ will love anyone else, except for your having loved me.

"But I am unworthy… for I am weak, and a coward.  I am so weak, that I could never hope to hold you against your will, though I would carry the world at your bidding.  I am such a coward that I would _never_ have the courage to leave you, though I would march through the jaws of death itself to be with you.  If you must leave me, fearing for the danger of my quest, I will not stop you.  If you leave me, thinking I don't love you, or don't love you enough, I _can't stop you.  But know this!  If you leave, it will be as if you run a sword through my heart!  My body will carry on.  It will finish this quest.  If _it_ lives, it will return to the forest, for it has become Kokiri, as I have, and the forest is its home.  It will bid sincere friendship to you, your life-mate, and your children.  But _I_ will have died this very morning, as if you _had_ run a sword through my heart!_

"I had hoped to share the rest of my days with you.  I shared my heart and soul with you, expecting nothing, but hoping for the same from you in return.  Have I hoped for too much?"

Saria's face lit up.  Her green hair shone more radiantly than Link had ever seen it.  "Link!  I hadn't expected this, but I had hoped for it more than anything else in my life!  I _had_ decided to give this to you as a release, and as a memento, so you would always remember me, and the friendship we had.  I give it to you _now_ as a remembrance of the friendship we had, and the greater friendship yet to come!  Besides, you always keep losing your ocarina.  Perhaps you'll take better care with this one."  

With that, she handed him an ocarina.  It was crafted with the finest care, and smoothed to an almost glass-like finish.  The deku wood had an amazing brilliance to it.  "When you come back from the castle, come see me.  Perhaps you and I can play it together."

Link was stunned!  There were only two reasons a Kokiri woman would ever give a Kokiri man an ocarina.  One was to break off a romance.  The other was to make that romance permanent.  But she had not recited the poem!  When the Kokiri woman proposed, she not only gave the man an ocarina, she recited a short traditional poem.  If the man agreed to marry, he took the new ocarina.  He then took his old ocarina, played a short traditional song, and presented his old ocarina to the woman.  If she accepted it, then each Kokiri was affianced to the other.  Link almost stammered "Do you mean to give this to me… _beloved?"_

Saria was panic-struck.  She had planned to propose to Link the previous evening, not knowing the real reason Link had been sent for.  But the Helfdanes quietly visited her.  They not only told her the real reason he was visiting the Deku Tree, but explained that Link had been promised long ago by his father to marry the Princess of the Hyleans, at the King of the Hyleans' request!  She had been devastated, and had cried all that night!  She knew that Link's sense of duty was strong.  She thought that once he knew he was pledged to the Princess, he would marry her to keep his father's word, though it would hurt him badly to leave Saria.  She had decided to give Link his freedom, so he could court the Princess without any guilt.

But Link had let her see into his heart more deeply then she ever had before.  Now, she _knew.  He didn't know of any promises made to the Hyleans, and wouldn't give a damn if he did!  He was bound to Saria, and Saria alone!  She was so relieved to see this, that she had unthinkingly given Link the ocarina out of relief!  Another time, and Link would have chided her for being so untraditional.  He then would have recited _both_ poems, played the song, and offered his ocarina.  _

But she had shaken him badly.  He didn't know _what_ she had in mind!  She had given the ocarina she made to pledge to him, now she had to finish what she started.  But she couldn't remember the words!  And she _knew_ that Link didn't have his ocarina with him.  She took a breath, and answered nervously, remembering the words as she said them.  "Beloved, I offer my heart to you.  A new home, warm but not lived in.  Strong, but not unbreakable.  Do you wish to stay here?"

Hearing this, Link finally placed the cord of the new ocarina over his head.  Normally, he never carried his ocarina like that.  But it was the only place he could be sure not to lose it on this trip, so his old one was also there.  He carefully took it out from the collar of his shirt, off of his head, and kneeled low to floor of the bridge.  He played "The Skylark's Song," as was tradition.  He started almost on the bridge floor, stood up on tip-toes, danced around Saria, and ended on one knee in front of her, holding his ocarina out to her on both open hands.  

He said "Beloved, I offer my heart to you.  It is a heart like a bird of the forest.  It is soft, warm, able to float on air.  It is strong and long of life, but easily crushed.  I would that you cherish and protect it in your heart forever.  May it stay there?"  

Saria accepted the ocarina from Link, and put its cord around her neck.  She placed it down her sweater, touching the skin over her heart and said, "Your heart is in mine."  

Link placed the ocarina Saria gave him down the collar of his shirt, touching the skin next to his heart and answered "And your heart in mine, beloved."  They kissed and embraced each other, softly crying tears of joy... and relief.

"I wish we'd done this in the meadow" Link said.  

"Beloved, we didn't know the time," Saria answered.  She went on "Remember when we were first friends?  We used to brag to each other that when we betrothed, we would do it in the meadow in mid afternoon?"  

"Yes," Link replied.  "We even offered to be there with each other…to make sure we didn't blow it and get jilted by our lovers!"  They both laughed.  

Saria said, "I could have used some help beloved!  I forgot the words for a second.  My heart hid it from me that we would do this.  I was certain that you _had forgotten your ocarina, or had lost it."  _

"It was right where you left it, beloved.  But except for this pack being in the way, I always used to carry my ocarina in the small of my back, beneath my belt.  I guess I could have given you my _butt like a bird in the forest…"  _

They both giggled coyly, and Saria said, "Link!  Not 'til _after_ we're married!  And not on the bridge; we'd break it!"  They giggled again, releasing the last of their jitters, kissed and embraced again.

"You need to get going, beloved," Saria finally said.  They both turned and walked toward the far end of the bridge, the end few Kokiri ever crossed.  "You have a long way to go to get to Hyrule village," she continued.  "I've looked at this map my father got from a Hylaen trader.  It's almost two days journey from here.  I brought the map to give to you, too."  She gave him a folded parchment.  It was apparently at least as old as they were, but was still in excellent shape.  

Link said, "Thank you, beloved.  I hope I don't find a great need for it, but it will help me a lot.  I won't need a map to find my way home, for I have you!  When I find you, I'll know I'm home."  They now stood on the dirt path, just over the bridge.  

Saria replied, "Do your duty.  Take care of yourself.  Come back."  They kissed and embraced each other one more time.  Saria jogged back into the Kokiri village, almost unable to contain herself.  Link turned toward Hyrule field and started running.  The weight on his shoulders had just been halved.


	5. All Journeys start with the First Step

Chapter 5 

Link came to a pathway.  At the end of the pathway was Hyrule Field.  As he got to the end of the pathway, he heard a voice call him from the top of a tree.  The voice said, "Hoo-hoot!  Link!  Look up here!"  Looking up, he saw an owl the size of a Hylean adult.  Had it stood on the ground it would have been just over five and one half feet tall, and of normal proportions for its size, not that its size was in anyway normal.  It had the colouring and feather pattern of a great horned owl, the wisest looking of the owls.  Its golden eyes bored deeply into Link's heart, as if the giant bird was indeed judging Link's character.  Finally, it spoke.   

"It appears that the time has finally come for you to start your quest; to live your destiny!  You will encounter many hardships ahead.  That is your fate, the only one your heart would let you choose.  Don't feel discouraged, even during the toughest times!  For if you indeed become the man you are supposed to be, you will prevail.  If not, all is lost.

"Go straight this way and you will see Hyrule Castle.  You will meet Princess Zelda there.  After you've presented the Sacred Jewell of your people to her, as your late Guardian bid you do, you will learn more.

"There is but little help or knowledge that I alone can give you.  Most of that known by others is best given by them.  We'll meet again, Child of Destiny!"  The giant owl hooted twice shrilly; then it flew off toward Hyrule Castle.  

Link thought to himself "If that owl is so concerned about me delivering this emerald, why didn't he take it himself!  The least he could have done was to offer to take me, as big as he is!"  

Navi said, "I've heard the legend of the Kaepora Gabora, but have never known anyone who had seen it!  You've not only seen it, but it talked with you!  What an honour!  Besides, how do you know that the Princess won't send you on another errand?  The Great Deku Tree told us to go to the Princess with the Kokiri Emerald.  He didn't say to just drop it off!"  

"I fear you're right, Navi.  This 'Kaepora Gabora' just said as much.  But honours won't get us to Hyrule Castle.  And though I once wanted to travel, I'd never hoped to travel like this!"

Off to the south, they saw a tall plant.  "What kind of tree is that, Navi?  I thought we had every tree known in the Forest, and yet this is the first time I've seen one of those."  

"That is NOT a tree!  It is a giant peahat.  It thirsts for Kokiri blood, and it's tough to defeat.  You can walk past them at night if you have no other choice, but during the daytime, stay far away from them.  If you hear a rushing, chopping sound, run as fast as you can away from it, preferably into a town or the woods.  They stay away from forests and towns, but the quieter parts of Hyrule Field belong to them during the day.  If you have to attack one, shoot or cut at the base of its root when it's flying.  This will kill it.  They can also spawn seedlings when they fly.  These can be killed with one shot, or cut if you get past their blades."  The Castle was off to the north, so they didn't have to worry about the peahats for now.

Link ran as fast and hard as he could.  He may have been thought of as an outsider, but his speed and endurance were up with the best the Kokiri had to offer. Along the way to the castle, he saw acres and acres of pastureland.  As he got closer to the castle, he saw plots of wheat, barley, oats, and vegetables.  He saw the houses of a few farmers, but it looked as if most of the farmers lived in the village up in the hills he passed in late afternoon, or in Hyrule Castle Town itself.  He got just in sight of the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle, a point some fifty miles or so from the way into the Kokiri Forest, as it was raised for the night.

He stood in the field facing the raised drawbridge.  He heard the howling of dogs, or wolves.  He then heard a sound behind him, as if something was forced out of the ground.  He turned around to see two animated skeletons, each slightly larger than he, walking towards him, chortling and swiping their hands towards him.  

"Link!" Navi shouted into his mind.  "Raise your shield!"  Link did this just as one of the monsters was about to hit him!  He drew his sword, and attacked the first monster with a jump attack!  With the first monster dead, he turned his attentions to the other one.  It was too close to hit with a jump attack, so he hit it with a hasty spin.  This knocked off its head and one arm, but it still came towards him!  He chopped the beast, killing it at last!  No sooner did he kill it, than two _more came out of the ground!  _

As he launched a jump attack against the first of this second pair, Navi told him "When you kill this pair, get onto the centre of the road as quickly as you can!"  Link's jump attack struck true, killing the first monster!  He launched a jump attack against the second monster, sending it back into oblivion!  He then got onto the road, and waited.  He waited several minutes, and still no more monsters came.

He asked Navi "What were those things, and why don't they bother us now?"  

Navi answered, "Those are stalchildren.  They attack travellers who walk the open fields at night.  They sometimes ignore unarmed Hyleans, and usually ignore Hylean children.  But all Kokiri, especially warriors like you are fair game.

"These monsters can't sense or attack through the gravel of a road like the one we're on.  We should be safe here," she said in conclusion.  

"Provided one prefers being crushed flat to being torn asunder!  What about travellers with wagons, horsemen, and the like?" Link asked.  

Navi replied, "Be more mindful of your manners, Link!  I know you're scared, but I also know you can overcome fear quite easily, and you have nothing to fear here at all.  Most people don't travel at night these days.  If someone should bring a wagon through here before dawn, I'll stop them and wake you.  You need to rest for a few hours.  Go to sleep here."

Link answered, "Sorry, Navi.  I'm not used to having a fairy, especially one so clever…"  Other questions were starting to come to Link's mind, but so was utter exhaustion!  After all, he had not slept well the night before he entered the Great Deku Tree, nor had he slept at all since!  He did as Navi said, and camped in the road.  He was still uneasy, but fatigue conquered all.  He finally fell asleep for a couple hours, and slept without dreaming.


	6. Hyrule Castle Town

Chapter 6 (Third Day of Spring) 

Link awoke to the sound of the drawbridge being lowered just as the sun rose.  He ate a couple of deku nuts.  Only Kokiri ate them.  Most people wouldn't think of eating a nut that would explode if dropped too hard or thrown.  The acrid, bitter taste reminded others of poisons, and was unbearable to all.  However, if one could acquire the taste for them, they were the most nutritious food known.  Raised as a Kokiri, Link had the taste for them, and ate them without thought.  Link asked Navi "How do fairies get food and drink?"

"We don't," she answered.  "Guardian fairies like me are sustained by the life force of those to whom we're joined, and at the same level of health.  We normally go back to The Great Deku Tree after our partner dies, if we don't die ourselves, but I don't know what will happen now.  I drew my sustenance from the Great Deku Tree, before I was bound to you."

"You say guardian fairies like you.  There are other kinds?"  

"Oh, yes" Navi replied.  "There are also healing fairies.  They are born in fairy fountains and wait for someone sick or hurt to come into the fountain.  They then pour all their life-force into the sick or injured person to make them well.  This is their fate, and it brings them great joy.  Legend has it that there are also five great fairies, but I've never seen one."  

Link asked, "You have a name, Navi.  You are the only guardian fairy I know of who has one.  Why?  And, why is it we _talk?_  Saria never spoke with her fairy that I know of, and neither has anyone else, not even the Helfdanes.  In fact, to speak to one's fairy is a sign of madness!"  

Navi hesitated before answering.  But she bowed to the inevitable, and answered in truth.  "Before I became your guardian fairy, I was a battle fairy.  Battle fairies were like guardian fairies, but in later years were bonded to The Great Deku Tree itself, not an individual Kokiri.  The Tree knew he would be sending you on a great quest for the Kokiri, and knew that you would need help.  So, rather than make an ordinary fairy for you, he sent me."  Hearing this, Link remembered the legends of the old battle fairies and became frightened.  In fact he was almost as scared as he was when he had the nightmares.

Navi sensed this.  She said forcefully yet soothingly, "Calm down, Link!  I know you've heard legends of the battle fairies, and the old Kokiri Warriors!  But the legends can be misleading!  And though your quest _can be dangerous, The Tree sent me to make sure it _isn't!_  You've already defeated a giant gohma, which few other Kokiri have either the courage or skill to do!  Follow my advice, and your experience as you gain it, and you will do fine."_

Link's worries now took a different tack.  "Navi, is your name a common one amongst fairies?  Ivanhoe's battle fairy was named 'Navi,' too."  Ivanhoe was the greatest of the Warrior Chieftains of the Kokiri.  He was also the _last_ of the Warrior Chieftains of the Kokiri, because he tried to overthrow the Great Deku Tree, kill off all the Hyleans, Sheikahs, and Gerudo, and make the whole of Hyrule a Great Kokiri Forest.  But his battle fairy, Navi, cooperated with the Great Deku Tree and helped kill Ivanhoe before he could succeed.  Ivanhoe was also Saria's great-great-great-great-father.

Navi answered, "I will explain someday why I did what I did then.  Saria loves you, and bears me no ill will.  When I was healthier, I would visit her occasionally, until the day she tried to make me bond to you rather than waiting for the Great Deku Tree to make you a 'normal' guardian fairy.  When she asked this, it wasn't right for me to do, and I owed both her and you too much to refuse.  So, I stopped visiting her.  

"Her line survived because they also worked to stop Ivanhoe from achieving his plans.  But yes, I am that Navi.  And, I am the fairy you needed, even if the Great Deku Tree could have made you a _hundred_ ordinary ones.  If I were not, I wouldn't have bonded with you.  I have had nothing in my heart for you save love and concern from the day you first entered the Forest, just five days after you were born."  

Link was somewhat reassured.  He asked "Navi, what else do you know that you haven't told me?"  

Navi replied "There are some things I can't tell you yet that I _know, and others that I can't tell you because I'm not sure they'll come to pass.  I keep my silence in these things because your knowing them before you are ready to will distract you, and cause you to fail in what you must do; failure that will kill us both and many others besides!  You will have to trust me on this!  I will tell you as much as I can, when it will help you.  But if I tell you too much, you will fail, and be killed!  Our lives are bound together.  If you die, I will die too.  I want to live at least as much as you do, so I won't mislead you, or give you more of a burden than you can handle."  Link wasn't entirely happy with this, but accepted it._

They crossed the drawbridge, and entered Hyrule Castle Town.  They walked down a main street.  They passed a guardhouse on their right, and the machinery room for the drawbridge on the left.  They then walked between the sides of two shop buildings, and into the Market Square.  They explored the Market to find out how to get into the castle itself.  They had entered the town from the south.  To the east of the main street into the square, there was a shop with a booth in front of it.  On the east side of the square was a bazaar, and a potion shop.  In the Northeast corner of the square was a large building, built of the same grey granite as the gatehouse to Hyrule Castle Town.  It was large and looked important, but was not the castle.  On the north side of the square was "The Happy Mask Shop", and a brick paved road leading out of the town.  Looking down this road, he could see the castle off in the distance.  To the left of this road was an indoor shooting gallery.  A "Bombchu Bowling Alley" dominated the west side of the square.  An alley ran behind this building.  On the south side of the square, west of the main road into the square, was a "Treasure Box Shop."

Link decided to talk to some of the people in the square.  He talked first to an old woman.  She said, "I made a lot of money today, kid.  Maybe I should go find some more things to sell."  After a short pause, she continued, "I know!  I'll go down to Lake Hylia.  Things always end up down there!"

Link walked further, and found a couple of teen-aged boys standing by a tree.  One of them was laughing at the other.  The first laughed, and said "What a crazy guy!  Can you believe this guy was crazy enough to try to sneak into the castle to see Princess Zelda?  All because of this idiot, they've tightened security at the castle, _again!_"  

The first teen-ager laughed as the second said, "I wanted to see Princess Zelda!  I avoided the guards.  I swam through the moat.  I was almost there when they caught me!  I found a small drain hole on the right side of the castle that I thought I could sneak into, but I got stuck there."  The two friends started to argue good-naturedly, as to whether the one could have won the Princess's heart in one chance meeting, should he have succeeded.  Link didn't care one way or another, so he politely excused himself from the pair.

Link chanced upon a red-haired girl, about the same age as him.  She was also the same height as he was, and was slim but well fed.  The features of her face were indeed girlish, yet they also resembled Link's own countenance, as if they were somehow related!  

She stared openly at Link in utter amazement, as could only be polite by a child.  Her green eyes sparkled with curiousity as she exclaimed, "Hey, your clothes!  They're different.  You're not from around here, are you?"  She saw Navi, and was surprised.  "Ohh… You're a fairy boy from the forest!  My name is Malon!  My dad owns Lon Lon Ranch!  Dad went to the castle to deliver some milk, and he hasn't come back yet."  

Link answered, "Malon, I'm headed to the castle.  If I see him, should I tell him you're looking for him?"  

She answered with a laugh, "You're going to the _castle, Fairy Boy?"  After laughing some more, she realized that Link was neither joking, nor crazy.  She said "Sure.  But if the King or Princess isn't expecting you, you won't get into the castle at all.  They don't let me in, and the only reason they let Dad in is because he delivers the milk!  The Palace Guard are more jumpy than usual, and no one knows why."  _

Link told Malon "Thanks, Malon.  If I see your dad, I'll let him know you're looking for him." She walked off to look for her dad.  Link and Navi left the square, and walked down the street, towards the castle.


	7. Enter the Castle

Chapter 7 

Link walked, with Navi floating and flying a foot or two above him, between two buildings, which were built into the back wall of the town itself.  Then, they followed the road up a hill and to the right.  They crested the hill, and walked fifty yards further down the road.  They stood in front of a huge pine tree, where Kaepora Gabora hailed them.  

"Ho, Link!" the huge owl said.  "This is the road to the castle.  I'm told the Princess expects you.  But I also sense that no one else does.  If you can't openly gain her audience, stealth is the best course.  But the guards are much more attentive to their duties during hours of darkness.  Be sure to watch out for them.  Who-Hoot!"  The owl flew away, leaving Link confused as to what it was up to.  But he had more important things on his mind than giant talking owls.

He looked more intently at the tree in which the owl had been perched.  He saw a golden sparkle.  He also sensed the presence of a curse spider.  He tackled the tree with all his might, and the curse spider fell from it!  He struck two quick blows with his sword, and claimed the token the beast left behind.

He looked to his right, and saw Malon, standing by the wall of the ravine the road threaded through.  She was facing toward the castle, and hadn't seen his approach, or the altercation he had with the spider.  He walked up to her, and asked, "Are you still looking for your father?"

She answered, "Yes.  So you're _really going to the Castle, Fairy-Boy?  Would you mind looking for my dad?"_

Link answered "Sure.  Like I said, if I see him, I'll let him know you're looking for him."

She replied, "He must have fallen asleep somewhere around the Castle.  What a thing for an adult to do!" she laughed.

"Oh, yeah.  If you'll look for him, I'll give this to you.  I've been incubating this egg very carefully" she laughed again.  She gave Link a large egg, about the size of three jumbo chicken eggs.  She said, "When Dad falls asleep, sometimes the only thing that will wake him is the call of a cucco!  This egg should hatch later today.  It will definitely hatch before sunrise tomorrow.  If you find him, use the chick from this egg to wake him!"    

Link answered "Thanks, Malon.  Do you want me to give the chick to your dad when he wakes up?"  

"No" she answered.  "You can keep it, or sell it if you want."  

Link answered, "Thanks again, Malon!"  

She answered, "You're welcome.  By the way, Fairy-Boy, what's your name?"  

"Link" he answered.  

"Ok, Link.  I'll see you later.  Stop by the ranch sometime, and let me know how your visit with the Princess went!"  She giggled, and walked down the hill towards Hyrule Castle Town.  Link continued down the road, to try the 'honest' approach to entering the Castle first.

He walked another twenty yards down the road, and came to the closed outer gate to the Castle.  He saw the gate was manned by at least one of the Hylean Royal Guard, the army of the King of the Hyleans and Sheikahs.  This guard stood not quite five and a half feet tall, which was still a goodly height in that era, and appeared to weigh a muscular eleven stone.  He wore the uniform well, that uniform being almost identical to that of a Roman soldier of the same rank, the only difference being the decorations in the armour, shield, and cloth.  He was armed with a javelin that was the exact twin of any Roman spear.

Link walked up to the guard and introduced himself.  "Hello, sir.  My name is Link.  I need to have an audience with Princess Zelda.  It's very important."  

The guard answered, "So you say you want to see Princess Zelda, eh?  You probably heard about her in town and decided you had to meet her."  Link started to say that he had travelled all the way from the distant forest to see her when the guard cut him off.  "Well, go home!  Get out of here!  The Princess would never grant an audience to the likes of you!"  

Link said, "I travelled all the way from the Kokiri Forest to see the Princess!  This isn't child-romance!  It is important business of my people."

The guard answered, "So, you really want to see the Princess that badly.  Let me think about it."  The guard stood silently a moment and continued speaking quietly.  "I'll let you through the gate.  But it will cost you!  Give me ten rupees."  

Navi said silently to Link "Go ahead and bribe the guard, Link.  He is crooked, but will honour his deal.  But we can't afford to bribe every guard!"  

Link answered her silently "So we sneak from now on."  

"Right!" the fairy replied in Link's thoughts.  

Link quietly told the guard "Ok, sir.  Here's your money."  He discretely handed the guard the ten-rupee bribe.  The guard pocketed the money, than pounded the ground once with the end of his spear.  Another unseen guard opened the gate.  The crooked guard said, "Go, quickly!"  Link ran through the gate, and blended into some short bushes about ten feet down the road.

Ten feet further in front of him was a "wye" intersection.  He asked silently "Navi?  What can you see?"  

The fairy rose up about twenty feet, flew around, and returned to Link.  She answered "At least four more guards.  When I say go, run to the wye intersection, and go to the left.  You will see two guards forty feet down the road.  Go half the distance to the guards, and run up the left embankment.  When you crest the hill, run to the right of the small pine tree, skirting around the third guard.  You will see a rough spot in the side of the terrace wall at the other end of the lower yard.  Run straight toward it.  After you climb it, follow along the ravine wall to your left, and run to the moat.  When you get to the moat, jump in, and swim quietly until the moat turns to the left, and avoiding the fourth guard on the drawbridge.  You can climb out then without the guards being able to see you.  Follow the walk to your left to its end.  You will find the drain the kid in town mentioned, along with a large, sleeping Hylean who must be Malon's papa."  

Link answered silently "Ok, Navi.  I'm ready."  

The fairy said loudly in Link's mind "Go!"

Link followed Navi's instructions perfectly!  He quickly ran down the road, up the embankment, and across the lower yard.  He climbed the terrace, followed the ravine side, and went down a short hill to a stone ledge by the moat itself.  He silently entered the moat, and swam its length, coming up on a mini sandbar where the moat turned to his left.  He climbed up onto the sand bar, and climbed from there onto the stone walkway next to the moat itself.  He walked about one hundred feet down the walkway, and found Malon's dad, snoring loudly and dead to the world.

He also found two milk crates, and a locked stone shed.  The milk crates were obviously thus, for they faint smell of fresh milk contained in fired clay amphorae came from within them, and the sides of the crates were branded with the head of what had to be a horned milk cow, and the Sheikah runes that proclaimed "Fresh Milk."  They also hinted strongly of a wagon, as each one was a five foot cube, and could only be moved by wagon, even if they were empty.

Link looked across the moat.  On the other side of the moat, was the drain opening the teen-ager in town had mentioned.  And, it was large enough that he would fit easily.  He looked into the opening, and saw that it opened into a small garden inside the wall!  But, it was too far to jump, and the wall was so smooth that he had no chance of climbing it even without the water pouring down on his head.  The crates looked like he might be able to push them down onto a ledge that was below the sleeping Hylean, to make a jumping platform.  That would allow him to jump across easily to the drain.  But first, he had to get the sleeping Hylean out of his way!

He tried to wake the man up.  Link prodded him, and got no response.  Link shook the man, and he mumbled about the ranch, and how wonderful it was.  He even stuck the man gently with the point of his sword!  The man moved, and then moved right back to where he was!  He was unwakeable, and unmovable!

Link was almost at the point of tears!  He silently asked "What can I do _now_, Navi?  It's already mid-afternoon, and I can't get this lazy oaf out of our way!  The longer we stay here, the greater chance we have of getting caught by the guards!"  

Navi answered, "Don't worry, Link.  If the guards patrolled this area, this man would already have been removed!  If you go behind the milk crates, you can go to sleep for a while.  You didn't get more than three hours of sleep on Hyrule Field, and you're tired!  I'll watch for any guards that might show up.  You've got the egg, right?"  

He answered "Right under my jacket, Navi.  It's still nice and warm, and I can feel movement inside the shell against my chest."  

Navi looked into the egg with her fairy-sight.  She said "It should hatch right before dawn tomorrow.  If the cucco wakes the man like Malon said it would, we'll be able to see Princess Zelda first thing tomorrow morning."  Link took Navi's advice.  He went behind the milk crates, rolled out his bedroll, and slept.  He was so tired, in fact, that he fell asleep right away, even though his bedroll, like everything else on him, was soaked from his swim in the moat!

Link was careful not to hurt the cucco egg, though.  The cucco is know to modern times as the "Hyrulian Spring Chicken."  Pure bread ones now are extremely rare, as they were interbred indiscriminately with other chickens, as trade opened up fully with the rest of the world.  When of pure blood, they are valued for having slight magical power, growing quickly to a size half again larger than other chickens, and for the fact that both hens and roosters crow at the coming dawn, even from the first day they're hatched.  Their call, though otherwise identical to that of other chickens, is also smoother, like unto that of a loud songbird.

Link dreamed of times in the past when he and Saria would sneak off to the Lost Woods together.  As the night wore on, Saria joined him in his dream.  She asked, "Where do you sleep tonight, beloved?"  

He answered, "I sleep beside the wall of Hyrule Castle."  

She said, "I missed you last night." 

"I only slept for a couple of hours at the most.  I didn't dream at all, I was so tired.  There are monsters that rise up out of the ground at night in Hyrule Field!  I had to camp in the middle of a road!  Even with Navi standing watch, I was scared!"  

"Navi?" Saria asked uneasily.  

Link answered, "She's my guardian fairy, Saria!  The Deku tree was so weak, he couldn't make a new fairy for me, so he gave me the old battle fairy, as I'm told _you_ once tried having done."  

Saria exclaimed "_Navi the Battle Fairy?_  What have you gotten us into, Beloved?"  

Link replied hurt, "It's not like I _asked_ for this, or that I asked specifically for her!  I would have thought…"

Saria answered as she held Link in her arms, "And if you did, Link, you thought right.  Please forgive me.  I'm just so scared for us…"  Saria started to cry softly as she and Link held each other.

Navi entered their shared dream at this point.  "Calm down, you two!" she exclaimed.  "I was bonded with Link because there _was no other fairy, and the Deku Tree lacked the strength to make another!  If you're that uncomfortable with me, I can have the new Deku Tree make you another fairy when it sprouts!"  _

Link replied "No, Navi.  You're a great guardian fairy!"  

Saria added, "And I still mean those words I said then, when you refused to do what you've done now.  But I'm _still _scared, Navi."  

The fairy spoke soothingly.  "And you shouldn't be, Saria.  If anything, I'm overkill!  Even as weak as it was, The Great Deku Tree wouldn't have sent Link on this quest if he couldn't handle it!  Having me for a guardian fairy will make Link's quest just that much less dangerous."  Saria was not completely convinced.  But she accepted things as they were.  

She said "Ok, Navi.  How soon will the two of you return to the Forest?"  

Navi answered, "I don't know.  If we can, we'll return as soon as we see the Princess.  If we see her tomorrow, we'll be back tomorrow night."  Navi left the lovers' dream.  

Saria said, "You _will_ be careful, won't you, beloved?"  

Link answered "Of course, beloved.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you!  That means I've got to keep living, doesn't it?"  Saria laughed.  The two lovers embraced again, and kissed in their dream.  They then shared endearments, as lovers will do, until Link was awakened by the hatching of the cucco chick.

Link sat up and looked around.  It was almost dawn.  He took the chick out of his jacket and looked at it.  It was about six inches tall, and bright yellow.  It clucked at him, as if Link were its mother!  Link took the eggshells out of his jacket, and threw them into the moat.  He put the chick gently back into his jacket, and put on his boots.  He then repacked his bedroll, and walked over to the sleeping Hylean, just as the sun broke over the horizon.

Link took the chick out of his jacket, and held it right next to the ear of the sleeping Hylean.  The chick crowed loudly at the sight of the sun's first light.  The Hylean was startled, and instantly awake!  

He got up and looked bemusedly at the Kokiri who stood before him holding the newly hatched chick.  Malon, for that was the name of Malon's father stood five feet and three inches tall, and weighed a slightly gone to seed fifteen stone.  He was bald on the top of his head, but his dark brown hair grew profusely elsewhere; he wore his head in a ponytail that reached just below his armpits, and his profuse body hair grew thickly from his arms and out of the collar of his shirt.  His beard grew slowly but formed a distinct shadow.  Thick brown eyebrows, brown eyes, an average chin, and a "Burnside" moustache that was well kept finished off his slightly corpulent but not un-comely face.  He was dressed as any working freeman of the era who rode horses would be dressed, though this was slightly below his station for he was a "Franklin," the lowest ranking nobleman, and the only nobleman not required to bear arms. 

As a form of introduction Talon bellowed, "What in tarnation!  Can't a person get a little shut-eye around here?"  The Hylean's eyes cleared, and he looked down at Link.

He asked civilly, "Hello, and who might you be?"  

Link answered "I'm Link, sir.  Are you Malon's Dad?"

The Hylean answered, "Yep, I'm Talon, the owner of Lon-Lon Ranch.  I went to the Castle to deliver some milk, but I sat down here to rest, and I guess I fell asleep."  

Link said, "That's fine with me, sir.  But Malon is in town looking for you."  

Talon was shocked at hearing this!  He exclaimed "What?  Malon was looking for me?  I'm gonna catch it from her now!  I messed up bad, leaving Malon behind to wait for me!  She's _really gonna let me have it!"  Link barely had time to hand the cucco chick to Talon as the rancher ran in a panic towards the road back to Hyrule Castle Town!  Talon left Link behind in a cloud of dust!_

Navi said, "Ok, Link!  Now, Talon is out of our way, and it's the top of the morning!  Let's get those milk crates pushed down so we can get into that drain!"  Link grabbed and dragged each crate in turn until he had formed a platform.  He climbed onto the top milk crate, and jumped across.  He easily made the jump, and landed in the stone opening around the drain.  He crawled through the drain, and into the castle itself.

He came out of the drain in a small pool in a small garden, which was about thirty feet long by forty-five feet wide, including the terraced pool Link was standing in.  There was a decorative walkway that alternated between squares of four large square flagstones, totalling three feet square, and gaps of two feet of grass.  Navi silently asked Link "I wonder where we'll find the Princess in this big, old castle?"  

Link replied in his mind, "Hopefully somewhere before we're caught by those guards!"  He was able to see into the next garden, where a guard patrolled.

This next garden was forty feet long by thirty feet wide, and was set in a stone walled alcove of forty by twenty feet to Link's right.  The guard was walking his post clockwise around a rectangular box hedge in the middle of the garden.  There were two other hedges in the garden.  The closest one to Link was halfway between the near wall of the garden and the twelve-foot square hedge, and ran parallel with the short wall and side of the alcove.  Its far end was even with the side of the box hedge, and the near side went four feet further to Link's left than the box hedge did.  The other hedge ran along the entire length of the far alcove wall.  All three hedges were just a little bit taller than Link himself.  There was a solid flagstone walk, halfway between the box hedge and the wrought iron rail and canal to Link's left.  Link waited until the guard was walking towards the wall to Link's right, then quietly sprinted the length of the garden.  He waited there, watching the guard in the second garden.

The third garden was the same size and shape as the first.  But it contained two fountains, two 'wall' hedges, and two guards!  The nearer one walked clockwise around the nearer of the two ten foot square fountains.  The other guard walked counter-clockwise around the other fountain.  Both fountains were to Link's right, one further away than the other.  Link waited until _both guards walked towards the right wall, and sprinted the length of the third garden._

The fourth garden was divided into two sections.  The first section was the easiest one of the guarded sections to cross to that point.  It was fifty feet long, and just as wide as the others.  And only one guard patrolled it.  But this guard walked his post underneath a vine-covered 'I' shaped trellis.  The trellis was ten feet tall, thirty feet long, and each end beam was fifteen feet long.  The 'I' shaped walkway formed was four feet wide, and looked sturdy enough to silently support a walking Kokiri.  It was standing between two hedges, each one being five feet tall and twenty feet long.  They in fact formed two walls, which the guard couldn't see through.  This section was separated from the other section of the garden by a six-foot tall wall, which was twenty feet long and ran from the large stone wall on Link's right to a point even with the end of the far left upright of the trellis.

There was a stone stairway, with three steps, set against the nearest of the five huge timber uprights for the trellis.  Each of the three steps was two feet tall, and the stairway itself, at four feet wide, was just as wide as the upright itself.  Link climbed up the stairway, climbed onto the trellis, and walked across the trellis over the guard's head!  He jumped down behind the left upright on the far side of the garden when the guard's back was turned.  He approached the left end of the short wall, and looked at the second half of the garden.

The second part of the fourth garden was thirty feet square.  It had a ten-foot wide by twelve-foot long pedestal in the middle, which was circled by two patrolling guards.  The pedestal itself stood four feet tall, and had a life-sized statue of a woman surrounded by five small children.  Both of the guards patrolled clockwise.  First, one would walk one leg of their post while the other watched.  Then, the other would walk while the first one watched.  Link waited until the first was walking the far end of the garden, to Link's right, and the other stood watching there.  He ran the length of the garden, pausing while the second guard started walking to his right, and ran behind a hedge in the next garden.

Two guards patrolled this fifth garden.  It was also a change of pace because it extended to Link's right.  Link turned and surveyed it.  It was thirty feet wide like the others, but walled with tall stone walls on both sides, instead of having the wrought iron fence and decorative stone canal on the left like the other ones did.  It was sixty feet long, and had a series of decorative hedges and walkways.  The hedge he hid behind was twenty feet wide.  Five feet down the length of the garden there were two short hedges, each one extending five feet from the wall.  Forty-five feet further down there was a matching pair of hedges.  Between the two pairs of hedges was a fifteen-foot wide by forty-foot long box hedge.  Two guards patrolled the garden, each one walking clockwise around the central hedge.  Each one would briskly walk one long leg and one short leg of the hedge, and then stop.  With one guard in the closer right corner and the other one in the far-left corner, each guard would look around.

Link waited until the guards turned and were walking the long leg of the hedge.  Then, he silently followed the one walking away from him, no more than three feet behind him!  When this guard finished looking around, and started to walk to his right, Link passed behind him, ran behind the far hedge, and kept walking to his left.  He walked through a arch-roofed corridor, that was twenty feet wide, thirty feet tall, and sixty feet long.  This opened into the Castle Courtyard.


	8. The Princess's Commission

Chapter 8 (Fourth day of Spring) 

Link entered the Castle Courtyard.  The Courtyard was octagonal shaped, each side being thirty-two feet long.  The entire perimeter of the courtyard was surrounded with a shallow decorative moat, this moat being eight feet wide, and three feet deep, but only holding two feet of water.  The middle part of the courtyard had some flowers growing in it at the far end.  There, on a bridge over the moat, he saw a Hylean girl of about fifteen years of age looking through a window.  She appeared to be nervously waiting for something.

The girl had achieved most of but not all of her final size.  She was five feet and three inches tall, and weighed slightly less than nine stone.  She had very blond hair, with just enough yellow to prevent one from saying "ash-blond."  This was in fact her natural hair colouring, as her eyebrows and eyelashes, hair not henna touched even by the vainest of women, were just slightly more yellow, in the manner of natural variation.  Her eyes were blue, but were a "normal" blue, not the unnaturally deep flashing blue Link's eyes were.  Her features were feminine and well formed.  Yet her countenance seemed fixed in an expression that told of receiving great responsibilities at a tender age.  

She wore no makeup, and a very conservative dress.  The dress bespoke at the same time "virgin girl" and "future queen."  It was tight about the neck, not showing any of Zelda's bosom, which was only starting to get large enough to be difficult to hide.  The cuffs of the sleeves reached unto her wrists, and it was floor length.  The main body of the dress was in the palest of purple samite, almost appearing white.  The sleeves were in a pale sky-blue.  Panels of the pale purple, with medium purple trim covered the shoulders.  Over this, she wore a sideless, sleeveless tunic in darker purple.  Unto this was embroidered over her pelvis the Triforce, two-headed eagle, and inverted triangle of the Anton Royal Line, Princess Zelda's family.  She wore a thin leather belt with golden waist plate about her waist, a heavy golden necklace with some dull read stone about her neck, and golden bracelets about each wrist.  Her hair was worn in a tight bun, and was almost totally covered with a headdress, made in the pale and darker purple samite.  A small Triforce crest surrounded with two sprigs of laurel was affixed to the scarf, just above her forehead.     

He thought, "By the way she's dressed, she would have to be Princess Zelda.  But she looks no older than her fifteen years, and certainly no wiser than any other Hylean girl of her age.  Is the future of our people in the hands of a flighty maiden?"  

Navi answered "No.  Looks can be deceiving, Link.  She IS the Princess of Destiny.  She may not look it, but she is wise beyond her years.  Besides, even by Kokirish standards, _you_ are a little young to be guarding the Kokiri Emerald and slaying monsters."  Link quietly approached her to find out for sure, hoping that she wouldn't call the guards.

The Princess turned around with a start.  "Who?!  Who are you?  How did you get past the guards?" she exclaimed.  She looked up at Navi and became even more frightened.  "Oh?  What's that?  Is that… a fairy?!" she exclaimed, almost but not quite shouting.   

Link answered nervously "Yes, Your Highness.  She's my guardian fairy.  The Princess calmed down a little.  She asked quietly, "Then are you… Are you from the forest?"  

Link answered "Yes, Your Highness."  

The girl continued haltingly, "Then… then… you wouldn't happen to have… the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you?  That green and shining stone… Do you have it?"  

Link replied, "Yes, Your Highness, I have the Kokiri Emerald."

The Princess laughed with relief.  "Just as I thought!  I had a dream.  In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule.  But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground.  The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy.  I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest.  Yes, I thought you might be the one.  Oh, I'm sorry!  I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself!"  She regained her more regal composure, as she speaking like an over-joyed young girl rather than the Princess Royal she was.  Her composure at least partly regained, she said, "I am Zelda, Princess of the Hyleans and Sheikahs."  As she nodded slightly towards Link, she asked, "What is your name?"  

"Link, Your Highness" he replied, after a couple moments hesitation.  

"Link.  Strange… it sounds somehow… familiar," replied Zelda, as if she were in another time.  She regained her composure, and said, "OK then, Link… I'm going to tell you the secret of the Sacred Realm that has been passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule.  Please keep this a secret from everyone."  

"Yes, Your Highness!" Link replied nervously.

"The legend goes like this.  The world was created by three goddesses. The goddesses also created the Triforce, which is a set of three sacred golden triangles that contain the essence of their powers.  The three goddesses hid the Triforce somewhere in Hyrule, that place is the Sacred Realm.  The Triforce has the power to grant the wish of the one who holds it.  If someone with a righteous heart has his wish granted, an era of great prosperity will ensue.  If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed with unspeakable evil.  So, the ancient sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce."

Link said "So, Your Highness, one can enter the Sacred Realm from the Temple of Time?"  

She answered, "That's right.  The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world.  But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time.  And, in order to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones.  And another thing you need… is the treasure that the Royal Family keeps along with this legend… The Ocarina of Time!  Did you understand what I just told you?"  Link nodded his head yes.

"That's great!  I forgot to tell you… I was spying through this window just now.  The other element from my dream, the dark clouds… I believe they symbolize… that man in there!  Will you look through the window at him?"  Link looked through the window at the man, genuflecting before the King of the Hyleans and Sheikahs.  At that instant, he knew that whatever Princess Zelda asked of him, he would deliver.  For in that room, was the monstrous man who had robbed him of sleep these past five months; the same monster who had murdered The Great Deku Tree, and would kill him if only it had a chance.

"Can you see the man with the evil eyes?" Zelda asked.  That is Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudos.  They hail from the desert far to the west.  Though he swears allegiance to my father, I am sure he is not sincere.  The dark clouds that covered Hyrule in my dream…  They must symbolize that man!"  As Zelda said this, Ganondorf looked towards the window with a blood-curdling snarl on his face.  Link turned away with a start. 

Zelda asked, "What happened?  Did he see you?"  She then said, "Don't worry.  He doesn't have any idea what we're planning… yet!"

"Your Highness", Link asked, "Have you told your father of your dream?  He must be told of how dangerous Ganondorf is!"  

The Princess replied, "Yes… Of _course_ I told my father about my dream!"  She paused, and continued fearfully, "However, he didn't believe it was a prophecy… But… I can sense that man's evil intentions!  What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm.  He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it!  And, he wants to conquer Hyrule…no, the entire world!  Link… now; we are the only ones who can protect Hyrule!  Please!"  Zelda held her hands out as if begging.

Link, without thinking said "Your Highness.  To protect Hyrule and the world from this monster, I am eternally at your service!"  Link concealed his amazement at himself.  He intended to help Princess Zelda, but it was as if someone else, far older and wiser than he answered in his place.  He didn't know then, but his words had far more literal truth in them then either he or Zelda knew.

"Thank you!  I… I am afraid… I have a feeling that man is going to destroy Hyrule.  He has such terrifying power!  But it's fortunate that you have come… We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce!  I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power!  He shall not have it!  You go find the other two Spiritual Stones!  Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!  

"One more thing… Take this letter… I'm sure it will be helpful to you."  As she said this, she was writing a note on Palace stationary.  She quickly finished the note, blotted it, and added the seal of her signet ring to it before handing it to Link.  He discretely looked at it as he put it in his pocket.  He thought it might be a little melodramatic, but it was clearly in her handwriting on Palace Stationery.  Any problems with Hylean soldiers or guards should be calmed, at least enough for him to get the job done.

Zelda gestured behind Link and said, "My attendant will guide you out of the castle.  Don't be afraid to talk to her."  With that said, Zelda turned away, indicating the audience was over.  

Link turned and walked towards Zelda's attendant.  As he left, Zelda discretely watched him.  She thought to herself "What a nice looking man.  If he wasn't a Kokiri, I'd swear that he was my age or younger. But is he a true Kokiri?  The Great Deku Tree was rumoured to have taken in some refugees eleven years ago, during the war when I was but a small child.  Could I be placing the future of the world in the hands of someone as young and inexperienced as myself, with even less education?"  

Zelda shivered in fright at the thought.  At the same moment, she realized that fate put them in this situation whether they were ready or not.  She also realized that the only way Link could have obtained the Kokiri Emerald was by lifting the curse from The Great Deku Tree before it died.  Had the tree died first, the gohma would have taken the Emerald to Ganondorf.  _That made Link a Kokiri warrior.  Since The Great Deku Tree was the Guardian of the Kokiri, Link _had_ to be the best warrior the Kokiri had.  Seeing that Link was _not_ one of the Helfdanes, and _they_ were both still alive, healthy, and respected as great warriors throughout the realm, Link had to be even better than them.  She just hoped that Kings Darunia of the Gorons and Zora of the Zoras could hold out until Link relieved them, and that she and Link could get into the Triforce before Ganondorf._


	9. Homeward Bound

Chapter 9 

Link walked to the courtyard gate.  There he found a striking woman, six feet tall, looking to be in her early thirties except for her hair being iron grey.  The woman introduced herself.  "I am Impa of the Sheikahs.  I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda.  Everything is exactly as the Princess foretold.  You are a courageous boy… You are heading out on a big, new adventure, aren't you?  My role in the Princess's dream was to teach a melody to the one from the forest.  This is an ancient melody passed down by the Royal Family.  I have played this song for Princess Zelda as a lullaby ever since she was a baby… There is mysterious power in these notes.  Now listen carefully…" She motioned for Link to play his ocarina, and whistled a short tune.  It was indeed like a lullaby, but different.  After he played it several times, Impa was satisfied that he had learned it.

Impa continued, "If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble.  Let me lead you out of the castle."  They travelled quietly through an underground passageway.  The passageway opened on the far side of the moat, just outside of Hyrule Castle Town.  They looked toward a volcano off in the distance.

"You brave lad…" Impa finally said, "We must protect this beautiful land of Hyrule!  Take a good look at that mountain.  That is Death Mountain, home of the Gorons.  They hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire.  At the foot of Death Mountain you will find my village, Kakariko.  That is where I was born and raised.  You should talk to some of the villagers there before you go up Death Mountain.

"The song I just taught you has some mysterious power.  Only Royal Family members are allowed to learn this song.  Remember, it will help to prove your connection with the Royal Family.  The princess is waiting for you to return to the castle with the stones.  All right.  We're counting on you!"  Impa threw down a deku nut and vanished as it exploded.

Link stood and thought for a minute.  Were they in that much danger from Ganondorf?  If so, was the castle the best place to have met, with Ganondorf not more than fifty feet away having an audience with the King?  But if not, what kind of circumstances caused one to habitually leave like a travelling magician anytime you left someone's company?  For it was obvious that except for members of the Royal Family, Impa left _everyone_ like that, not just Kokiri boys.

"Makes you glad you don't live like that," Navi said as they started walking back to the Kokiri Forest, "doesn't it?"  

"How did you know what I was thinking", asked Link.  

"Fairies and their partners get to know each other to the point of reading each other's thoughts," said Navi.  "It's just like our talking to each other in our minds, not in the open.  It's the same way that I'm always with you, but not everyone knows I'm there.  I can hide in your thoughts, or ride in your thoughts if I'm tired or frightened.  As we get to know each other better, you will also know my thoughts as well.  You want to become life-mates with Saria, right?  And you know how close that relationship is.  Your relationship with your guardian fairy is much closer still.  This is why Kokiri never leave their life-mates.  They are already born with a relationship so much closer, and absolutely unbreakable, that they are used to settling differences without grudges or resentment.  This is also why you get along as well with the other Kokiri as you do.  They joked about you not having a fairy, but never to be mean or hurtful.

"Mido, on the other hand, was already hurt by you many years ago, without your even knowing.  Mido wanted to be life-mates with Saria when she got old enough.  But even then, she had decided on you, and told Mido just that!  You were probably the only Kokiri who DIDN'T know that if Saria took a life-mate at all, that it would be you.

"Mido doesn't really dislike you, either.  But he is only sixteen, and in spite of having the making of a truly great Chieftain, is immature.  He loves Saria, and always will.  He hasn't given up on winning her over, but knows that he hasn't got a chance.  He would never think of taking his frustrations out on her.  You, though, are a convenient target, even if you are busy saving the world."

"What will Saria say when she finds out that we are going to save Hyrule?" Navi asked.  

"I know already," answered Link.  "She will be afraid that something will happen to me, and that I might not come back.  She will fret and worry, but in the end she will help me as much as she can.  Navi, is it true what they say about life-mates, that when one plays the other's song on the ocarina that they can talk to each other anywhere?"

"Sometimes.  It depends on how long they've been together, how strong their bond is, many things.  It is inconsistent, really.  I've heard of bonds that were strong where the life-mates couldn't talk with ocarinas, even with their fairies helping, from one house to the next.  I've heard of others where they could be on opposite ends of the Lost Woods, play a couple notes, and talk like they were looking into each other's eyes."

Link and Navi had an earlier start leaving Hyrule Castle Town than they did leaving for it.  Knowing that he was returning to Saria made Link's steps that much lighter, his stride that much longer, his road that much shorter.  He returned to the Kokiri village just after sunset.


	10. A wedding in the Sacred Forest Meadow

Chapter 10 (Evening of the fourth day of spring) 

As Link entered the village, he heard a scratching sound coming from behind the Helfdanes' house.  He climbed up to the ledge on which it sat.  On the back of their house was a gold skultullah.  Link quickly dispatched the beast, and claimed the token it yielded.  He then went to Saria's house.  No one was there.  He stopped by his house, no Saria. Then, he ran into May, April's twin sister.  "Did Saria see you already?" she asked.  "She said that she would be at the usual spot!"  She walked away, giggling to herself.  

Link was relieved.  If Saria had been angry, the message would have been "The Sacred Forest Meadow, even without a fairy you can find it!"  Or, if she was really mad, she would have just said, "find me!"  She didn't get angry often, or stay that way long, but when she did she meant business.

Link climbed the ledge, and stepped into the first clearing of the Lost Woods.  He was glad he had Navi along.  He was tired.  Although he had memorized the layout of the Lost Woods, it was easier to have a fairy guide you.  It was tough enough to keep any intruder not brought in by a Kokiri lost forever, cursed to become a Stalfos, hence the name.

"Ok, Navi!  Which way to the temple?"  Link thought.  

Navi answered back "I've never been here before!  I'm already lost."  

"A fairy lost in the Lost Woods?" thought Link.  

"A Kokiri without a fairy till he turned eleven!" shot back Navi loudly.  

"Navi, I didn't mean anything by that!  I'm sorry!" said Link humbly.  

"No matter," said Navi.  "We're both tired.  Just don't be so thoughtless with Saria.  And PLEASE remember the way out of here!  I don't want to be the guardian to a Stalfos!"  

"Don't worry, Navi!  Kokiri NEVER get lost IN the woods!"  And, to prove his point, Link deliberately went straight where he should have turned.  The duo was instantly back where they started, on the ledge overlooking Kokiri village.  They headed back in to the Lost Woods.  This time, they both heard music coming from one of the portals in the first clearing.

"Do you hear that, Link?  That's ocarina music!  But I've never heard the tune before.  Could that be Saria?"  

"I think so, Navi!  That's her style of playing.  And it is coming from the right direction."  Between Saria's music, and Link's having made the walk hundreds of times before, they were soon in the clearing of the Sacred Forest Meadow.

A large snarling wolf-like monster immediately attacked them!  Link had no idea what it was.  He raised his shield and asked Navi "What is this?  How do I kill it?"  

Navi replied, "It's a wolfos!  The fur of its back is like stone.  You have to strike it in the face, or its underbelly when it comes in to attack!"  

Link drew his sword.  He blocked the wolfos' lunge with his shield and stabbed at the soft underbelly.  He got in a couple of good hits before the wolfos crouched down within its iron-hard fur.  The wolfos lunged again.  Link knocked it on its back with his shield and finished it off with a jump attack.  The wolfos went up in a cloud of smoke.

"That's the first time I saw a wolfos this close to the village, Link!  This is not a good sign," Navi said.  

"Does this mean that we didn't lift the curse after all?" Link asked.  

Navi answered "No.  It means that some of the protective spells the Great Deku Tree cast are already starting to wear off.  These monsters have been in other parts of the realm, but the Great Deku Tree kept them far away from the Kokiri Forest."

Link cleared away some dead brush that was blocking their path.  The ladder which should have been there was nowhere in sight.  Link thought "Great!  The wolfos must have eaten the ladder!  Saria can set it up herself, but she can't pull it up onto the hedge maze.  I could barely do it alone, we usually both did that!  So we get to fight four mad deku scrubs tonight, Navi!"  

The fairy answered "No problem, Link.  With my help, you'll be able to aim and anchor your shield while you run at them!  We'll kill them with _their first shots, without missing a step!" They ran into the maze._

They fought past the four mad scrubs without incident, and found themselves in the clearing in front of the abandoned temple.  Saria was sitting on a tree stump, playing the ocarina.  She looked up, saw Link, and stopped.

Saria said, "I've been waiting for you, Link!  This meadow has been our secret place.  Yet, this is the first time I've ever been here at night!  It seemed so different without you.  I waited since late this afternoon, playing so you would find me.  Without you here, the forest was as empty as the Gerudo Desert of legend.  But by your side, it is full of life, full of hope, full of promise!  If we play the ocarina here, we can even talk with the spirits in the forest.  Would you like to play the ocarina with me?"  Link was expecting this, but was still stunned.  He and Saria were to become life-mates that night!

In Kokirish society, marriage was not consummated with sex.  That normally waited a week or so after the marriage.  However, since the bonds of life-mates were impossible to break short of death, the marriage was considered instantly unbreakable.   The marriage was acted and consummated in one step, by the playing of ocarinas.  Each Kokiri would teach the other their song.  This song was usually known to their other closest friends, but usually never heard by the other until the wedding night.  Once each Kokiri taught the other their song, they would take part of each song, making a new song for the both of them.  They would then serenade each other through the night with their new song, while locked in an embrace.  They would do this where no other Kokiri could _see_ them, but where their music could be clearly heard.  They would kiss once, at dawn, then live together from then forward.  As each Kokiri could recognize the style of ocarina playing of another as distinctly as their voice, and since the wedding song usually had parts of both songs in it, everyone knew _who_ had been married.

Saria went first.  "This, beloved, is my song.  It is of the forest, as am I.  Play it anywhere, and it will remind you of the forest, and of me."  Saria's Song was short, light, and of the forest.  It would have lifted Link's spirits even without it being Saria's.  Link learned it quickly.  Then, it was Link's turn.

"This, beloved, is my song.  It is of wandering, as I have been.  It is about travels ended, as I hope to be.   It is of yearning, as was I.  It is about yearnings fulfilled, as you have made me.  It is of fear, doubt, and loneliness, as I once was.  It is of courage, restored hope, and family as I am, from knowing you.

"My quest, the quest The Great Deku Tree sent me on, is not over, it is only just begun.  Princess Zelda of the Hyleans told me to recover the other two Sacred Stones.  We are then to open the Temple of Time, claim the Triforce, and seal the evil man who killed the Deku Tree in the void of the damned.  If we don't succeed, Ganondorf will take over and rule with an evil hatred that makes the troubles of the past few years seem as a summer afternoon.  Even if we succeed, I'm not sure I'll be around to return.  I can't ask of anyone, much less the one person that I love more than life itself, to endure this!

"If that person, knowing the hardships ahead, has the courage and desire to take this life of mine and share it with me anyway, I can't turn them away.  I did not ask for my challenge.  But having been given it, I cannot turn it away.  There is no one else who can make this quest, and if it's not made, the world will pay dearly!  Whatever your answer, whatever you ask, know that I will always love you.  I will be your friend, and your friend's friend, forever.  Even if that friend is a life-mate, and not I.  Learn this song and treasure it in your heart.  For should you play it, it will remind you of me, and bring me home to you!"

Link played his song.  His song was not much longer than Saria's, and just as he described it.  After Link's playing it once, Saria played it perfectly.  If anything, it sounded more lonely, more absent of loneliness, and more beautiful than when Link played it!

Saria spoke.  "Beloved, it was right that we pledged our love to each other on a bridge.  For when we betrothed ourselves to each other, we _both _crossed a bridge, _together!  Before then, I had been prepared to let you leave, though the pain and longing were already sapping at my very strength.  After that moment, I could no more leave you than leave myself!  For my heart is now in yours, and my _fate_ is in yours as well.  I know not what the future holds.  Tomorrow is not promised.  You must have me as you would I have you, knowing that our time may be long or short.  I don't know, but I feel your quest is far more mine too, than if I were only your life-mate.  Do you take me, Saria, daughter of Melisande to be your life-mate?  Do you take me to love, honour and cherish?  Do you take me for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?  Do you take me as your life-mate, forsaking all others till death us do part?"_

Link answered.  "I do, beloved.  Do you take me, Link of the Kokiri, to be your life-mate?  Do you take me to love, to honour, and to cherish?  Do you take me for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?  Do you take me as your life-mate, forsaking all others till death us do part?"  Saria replied, "I do, beloved.  With these songs, we are as one."  Link answered, "With these songs, we are as one."  They embraced each other, and played their new song.

As they played their song to each other on their ocarinas, they sang to each other, in that realm beyond words.  Most of the legends fail to record the words the two lovers sang silently to each other.  But those words are writ below.

Come to me, be my love

Pledge your heart to my heart

Forever more, and ever more

Bond with me, stay with me

You and I will see 

What true love can be

Eternally

You and I, I and thee, Unity

Joyfully, blissfully, merrily

Your love mine, my love thine, all    

  through time

Forever forward ever moreward

Even to the very end of days!

Their new song, like their hearts bonded together, was more than the sum of its parts.  Though they were certain of their love for each other, and their bond to each other, they were nervous.  They played their new song faster than either had planned.  The rhythm of the song was far faster than was proper ether before, or since, though the propriety of _their_ song was doubted by no one.  But this only increased the power of the song!  Their playing, and the love for each other it expressed, was more than even the Lost Woods could hide!  They were not only heard in all the Kokiri Forest, but the forest itself absorbed the song.  They serenaded each other until dawn, but the forest itself also serenaded them back.  The music of their wedding could be heard, even _felt, _within the Lost Woods from then on!


	11. Beginnings

Chapter 11 

In the Kokiri village, Mido was crestfallen.  He knew that this was inevitable, but he had hoped for at least one more chance to win Saria's heart over to him.  Saria's bonding with Link and not him was the only problem Mido had with Link, but it had been enough.  He had tried every argument he could think of to turn her away from Link, without luck.  He had reminded her in the past that Link had no fairy.  She replied "No fairy to compete with for his affection and secrets, what's so bad about that?"  When Link was joined with Navi, the Battle Fairy who had been just about everywhere EXCEPT the Kokiri Forest, she answered "That means that Link will fight that much harder to be the man that I love!"  He reminded her of the fact that Link was born a Hylean, born to two very tall Hyleans who died in the wars when he was an infant.  Even being raised on a Kokirish diet, he would tower over everyone like a mountain.  She proclaimed "she would climb that man-mountain when she came to him."

He thought she was having second thoughts when they learned he was leaving for Hyrule Castle.  She looked as if she were seeing him off for good when she left to see him on the bridge.  She returned almost a different woman altogether.  She stormed into his house, told him "Link and I will marry when he returns from the castle!  If we had a _real chieftain, Link wouldn't be the one travelling!" and left!  Now, he knew that he could __never have Saria, for she had never been his to have!_

And something else was bothering him.  He had remembered again a pledge he made at the pyre when his father was returned to the forest.  He had pledged to _take care_ of Link!  He didn't remember why yet.  But he knew it had been important.  If he had not become spoiled, with all the trappings of being a chieftain without any of the responsibilities, he might have remembered.  If he had not convinced himself that Saria was his, and resented her giving herself to Link before either of them knew what they were doing, he might have remembered anyway.

He would have to bless the marriage in the morning.  He saw that Link did not drop off his war gear when he passed through the village.  So whatever quest the Great Deku Tree and the Princess of the Hyleans had sent him on was just starting.  He had probably stopped in the village just long enough to marry Saria, and possibly to couple with her.  They would probably nap in the meadow by the Temple ruins, before Link left straight out for wherever the Princess bade him go.  Knowing how reckless Saria was, they might _both go!_

Mido drifted off to sleep sitting at his table.  He then had a nightmare, more fearful than any he could imagine!  At first, he was again a child.  He was playing in the Lost Woods, when he saw his father.  Mido ran to him, shouting "Papa!  Papa!  You've come home!"  Then he realized that it was the _ghost of his father!  And he was no longer a child, but an adult again!  _

The ghost said "Mido.  You have disappointed me!"  

"But Papa!  You left me so young!  I was not ready to fill your shoes!  Yet the Kokiri have prospered anyway.  I was not a great chieftain, but I have learned!"  

Mido's father replied, "I speak not of the Forest People.  You swore an oath to me, without my asking, that you would take care of the son of my Sworn Brother and Liege-Lord.  Yet, soon after I died, you forgot your oath!  You envied your brother his life-mate, and treated him with scorn!"  

"Papa, please forgive me!  They were only now married, and her father had promised her to me!  I heard it with my own ears, as I listened at the Wizard's window whilst you and the Duke drank ale with him!"  

Weldo answered, "Son, you remember that I was not happy that night.  I tell you now why.  Sarchan promised Saria to 'The Great Warlord.'  My Sworn Brother promised his infant son to the Princess of Hyrule!  Both were befuddled from the wine of the Hyleans, and did not realize what they had done.  But I had.  For I knew even then that you would be a great War Chieftain.  But _The Great Warlord would be the infant son of the Duke of Hyrule!  __Your Sworn Brother!  I do not know how this will end, but it will hurt your Sworn Brother greatly, no matter what.  _

"And your Sworn Brother is in greater danger still!  Ganondorf, the eternal enemy of our people is plotting to steal the Triforce!  Should he take it, he will enslave the realm, and the entire world with barbarity and cruelty!  Link is the only one who may be able to stop him.  This is the quest that even now he has taken up!  You have forsaken your brother in the past.  I forgive this.  If you forsake him ever again, there will be no pardon from _anyone, nor any pardon _for_ anyone.  For their champion will be dead, at the hand of his brother!"  _

"Papa, what must I do?  I don't know how I may help him."

Weldo continued.  "You must be the brother to him that you never were.  You must earn his trust.  This will not be as hard as you think, but you must do this.  You must remember that he is the Duke of Hyrule, and your Liege-Lord, as I was to his father.  But you must never tell him this!  He will learn of who he is in good time, but not from you.  Keeping this secret from him protects his life!  When he knows who he is, you will show him the proper respect!  But _you must not tell him!  _

"You will tell Saria, but not now!  If you are truly the brother to Link you swore you would be, you shall know the right time to tell her!  

"Finally, you will seek his help!  For _you_ are the Chieftain, and must never let him be distracted by that sacred duty not being attended to.You will need to borrow his courage to succeed at this.  You will also need that courage so that when _he is in need, you will be there!"  There was a flash of light!_

Mido was in a large clearing in the Lost Woods.  He was older, and in the midst of many Kokiri warriors!  They were battling a horde of stalfos, who outnumbered his band two to one!  They were winning the battle, but barely.  They had lost several of their number, and several more were wounded, and needed the protection of their brothers!  He was fighting _two, and was winning!  He defeated the first, and had turned his attention to the second.  But a third came as if from nowhere.  It struck him full on his shield, and knocked him to the ground, stunned.  The one he had been fighting was about to drive its sword through his chest, when it was felled with one swing.  Link had just saved his life!  _

But it was not Link.  This was a boy, not even seven, but almost fully grown by the sizes of the Kokiri!  The boy did have Link's face and eyes, but he had Saria's hair, and ears!  The boy looked Mido in the eyes and said, "Help my father.  That is all I ask!"  There was another flash of light!

Mido saw into a large Temple, but was not there.  Link had entered, and opened a large stone door.  Link thought he was alone, but he was not.  Saria had followed quietly behind him, and she had a sword and shield!  Mido was puzzled.  But he came to a horrible realization--Saria was _protecting_ Link… _alone!_  If there was danger, there should have been more warriors, nay, every man of the Forest who could carry a sword!  

Link walked up to a sword set in a large stone in the floor of the Temple.  He drew the sword out of the stone.  As he did so, Ganondorf appeared!  The sword was obviously too big for Link, yet he took it in two hands, and faced Ganondorf!  Link then saw Saria.  His courage was shaken, out of fear for her.  But he charged Ganondorf with even greater ferocity, greater than Mido thought any living being could have for another!  Ganondorf struck at both Link and Saria.  Mido saw Link vanish, and then…

He was in a large field.  It was night, and fog hung low against the ground.  Link walked up to him from out of the mist and greeted him.  "Great War Chieftain!  The Beast threatens our Forest!  Stand here, and fight his smaller minions!  I will attack his greater minions, and kill the Beast myself!  You cannot help me with these large monsters!  But slay the smaller ones, and guard my back!"  With that, Link walked away.

Mido tried to touch Link's shoulder to get his attention.  But as he did, Link slew a large spider.  Mido drew blood from Link!  He was horrified.  But Link turned around and said, "Be careful, Brother!  Your touch is stronger than you realize!"

Link turned back to his work, and slew a flightless dragon, and a monster of the sea.  He then vanished!  Mido looked around.  He looked up, and saw Saria!  She was falling from the sky!  Mido knew that if he did not catch her, she would be killed!  He ran to her, and held out his arms to catch her.  He caught her, but they were both being driven into the ground.  He held her up with all his might, but he was failing!  Just as he thought all was lost, Link appeared again.  He touched Saria, and both stood before Mido, alive and well!  Link told Mido "Thank you, Brother!  I told you your touch was strong!"

Link and Saria then handed him an infant boy!  He held the child.  It grew rapidly in his arms.  As it grew, Link and Saria _both_ disappeared!  Then, the stalfos came.  He stood the child behind him, bidding him "Nephew, please hide behind me.  I must fight these monsters, and protect you."  

The child did as he was told, at first.  But the child grew rapidly, to the size of a Kokiri adult.  The child found sword and shield, and started to fight at Mido's side!  He asked the child "Nephew, must you fight at my side?"  

The child answered, "You must not suffer harm!  As you protect me, I protect you!"  Mido would have argued, but there was no time!  The stalfos were back!

Each of them tried to fight with more ferocity than the other!  Mido tried to send the child to safety a couple of times.  But each time, both found themselves hurt, and resumed at each other's sides.  Suddenly, the stalfos were gone!

In front of them stood a Hylean nobleman.  The limbs of a Deku tree were strangling the nobleman.  Both Mido and the child went to the Hylean's aid.  Each drew swords, and severed the limbs of the tree.  Then, they pried the limbs from around the Hylean's throat. The tree then kneeled down to the two Kokiri and the Hylean, and rendered homage!  Mido looked at the Hylean, and it was Link again!

Except this time, it was Link as he would look when his Hylean body had grown to full size.  He was not as large as the old duke, but he still towered over Mido.  Yet, he was as much Kokiri as Mido, if not more!  He looked down and told Mido "You have done well again, my brother!  I must slay four more monsters, and the Beast itself!  Then, we will celebrate our deliverance!  With the boy at his side, Mido watched Link walk off again.

Link slew a dragon, a sea monster, a giant spider with human hands, and a pair of witches.  Link then attacked the beast itself!  He slew it twice!  He then started to walk back towards Mido.  But then, the child disappeared.  Link was no longer walking, nor large.  He was Kokiri sized, and being carried on his Hylean shield by two Hylean men.  They brought Link to Mido at a full run!  Link looked up at Mido and said "Help me brother, I am dying!"

Saria and Link stopped playing as the first rays of the sun broke over the horizon.  The light barely illuminated the tree-ringed meadow, but they both knew it was time.  

Saria said, "Before you leave again, there's someone we need to see, beloved."  

"Who would that be?"  

"The Skull Kids have two pieces of life-force container.  They may give them to you, for my sake, if not yours."

Link never got along well with the Skull Kid.  The Skull Kid had a crush on Saria, and was jealous of Link.  But Saria was friends with anyone and anything that belonged in the forest, even the Skull Kids.  Link didn't even know that there was more than one!  He answered "If they will help us, fine.  But if I had just lost the woman of _my_ dreams to another man, I wouldn't want to see _that_ man!"  

Saria replied, "He knew he would never have me!  But he is my friend still.  He, _and _his two brothers."

The two lovers walked almost to the Kokiri Village, but went straight where they would have turned right.  They passed through a clearing with two tree stumps.  They walked to their left, and walked into another clearing, overlooking a deep ravine.  Over the ravine was suspended a bridge.  They stood next to a ladder, which ran down into the ravine.  Saria climbed down the ladder, and Link followed.

They walked the length of the ravine, passing under the Lost Woods Bridge.  Saria said, "Strange.  I've always found him under the bridge before."  As she said that, a deku scrub sprouted out of the ground and spit a deku nut at them!  Link drew his shield and bounced the nut back at the scrub, stunning it!  The scrub moaned piteously, "Spare me master, and I'll make your quest easier by allowing you to carry more deku sticks.  But it will cost you forty rupees!"  

Saria was stunned, having only seen mad scrubs before.  She was even more stunned when Link handed the scrub forty rupees, and said, "Ok.  Fair enough."  The scrub took the forty rupees.  Then, it touched Link's t-frame with a bolt of magic!  The t-frame now held _twenty_ deku sticks!  The deku scrub quickly vanished, dropping three rupees as it left.

Link picked up the coins and put them in his moneybag.  He looked up and said, "I've never seen the underside of the bridge before.  It never meant anything to me, either…  until a few days ago."  Saria kissed him.  

She said, "It means much more to me, too.  But we need to find the Skull Kid."

They climbed the ladder, and walked back into the clearing with the two stumps.  This time, on the taller of the two, the Skull Kid danced and played his straight flute.  The Skull Kid stopped playing, and looked at the two Kokiri.

He said, "I hear you just became life-mates, Saria!  But I don't believe your make-believe Kokiri boyfriend is your life-mate.  The music your life-mate played _couldn't _have come from a Hylean!"  Link was furious!  He had wanted to spare the feelings of the Skull Kid.  Having almost lost Saria less than a week ago, he was especially sensitive to the heart of another who had been betrayed by love, or even infatuation.  But the Skull Kid's arrogance almost enraged him!  He took his ocarina and played the song of his wedding.  He played it gloatingly, as if to say "I won her heart, and you didn't!  Too bad, ha ha!"

The Skull Kid was crushed!  He fell off of his perch, and started to cry inconsolably.  This touched Link's heart again.  For Link was not a vengeful person.  He regretted hurting the Skull Kid's feelings, even though the Skull Kid had hurt his.  Link himself didn't understand how he had _become Kokiri when he hadn't been born one!  He changed his playing, as if to say "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, brother.  I don't know how I deserved her love, where you did not.  Rest assured that I will take at least as good care with her as would have.  Please forgive me."_

The Skull Kid stood up, wiped his eyes, and remounted his stump.  He said, "So you've become Kokiri that you would win her love!  You are now of her, as she is of you!  We are now friends forever, Kokiri!  Please take this as a remembrance of our friendship!"  The Skull Kid cast a piece of life-force container high into the air.  Link stopped playing, and caught the piece, absorbing it instantly.  

Link said, "Thank you, brother!  I'll be forever grateful.  What is your name, that I may call you by it?"  

The Skull Kid answered "As your life-mate will tell you, my brothers and I have no names.

"I sense that you are travelling.  I feel that you have the Kokiri Emerald with you.  Why?"  

Saria answered "Nameless Friend, my life-mate has been chosen to save the realm from the evil King of the Gerudo.  I would have spared your feelings, but Link will need all the help I can give him to return safe to me.  Even your help."  

The Skull Kid answered, "Saria, I've given the best help a plain-faced haunter of the woods can give.  My two scary-faced brothers will help too, but _only_ if Link wins their trial!  But his heart beats as a Kokiri.  He is at one with the forest, his ocarina, and you!  Their ordeal will be as nothing.  Because he is of you, he isn't even in peril of his life if he fails!"

It was legend among the Kokiri that the Skull Kids would capture unsuspecting Kokiri who had wandered too far from the main paths and challenge them to an ordeal playing their ocarinas.  If they passed, they would be given strength to live longer.  If they failed, they would be killed and eaten!  But Saria had never feared the Skull Kids, nor had she wanted their help before today.

She told her nameless friend "This is kind of all of you!  I will always be grateful."  

The Skull Kid answered, "We can do no less, friend!  But please leave now, with my best wishes!  Though I knew I could never have you, your loss eats at my heart almost as much as the plainness of my face!  Go with fortune."  The Skull Kid started to cry again.  

Link answered "And you, brother.  If I can, I will help you with your face."  The two Kokiri quickly left the clearing.

Saria said, "How can you help him?"  

Link answered, "You know of the legends of magic masks.  Perhaps if I find one on my travels, it will help him.  If I find one, we owe him no less."  

They had entered a clearing that was mostly occupied with a deep pit.  Saria went ahead of him, and went down a ladder Link hadn't noticed before.  Link followed her.  They stood in a sunken clearing.  At the far end of the clearing was a tree stump, and a tall tree stump with a branch sticking out of one side.  This taller stump formed two platforms.

Saria said "Stand on the smaller tree stump and listen to me."  Link stood on the tree stump and the other two Skull Kids appeared.  

One of them said, "Our plain-faced older brother tells us that it is your wedding day, Kokiri.  You have become life-mates with our friend.  She stands behind you to help in your trial!  We wouldn't take your life if you lost, for her sake.  And with her help, even a _Hylean could win our trial!  We will play on our straight flutes.  Play along with your ocarina.  If you play to our satisfaction, we will present you with gifts!  If you fail, you will have our congratulations, _alone!_  Play!"_

The first Skull kid played a short melody, then his brother played the same one.  Link played the melody back to them.  

The one said, "That was good.  Take this as a reward."  The Skull Kid tossed a ten-rupee coin to Link, who caught it and put it in his pocket.  

The Skull Kid said, "Ok, play again!"  The first Skull Kid played a complicated melody, and his brother played the melody again.  Link played it back to them, embellishing it just a little.  The first Skull Kid said, "That was great!  Have this as a reward!"  The second Skull Kid tossed a twenty-rupee coin to Link, who caught it and put it in his pocket.  

The first Skull Kid said, "Ok, This is the great test.  Play!"  The Skull Kid played a long, melancholy song of the forest, one that Link had never heard before!  It seemed to hint at the mysterious origin of the Skull Kids themselves!  The second one played to Link, playing the _second half of the song!_

After over forty-five minutes of very complicated music, Link was finally able to play the song back to the Skull Kids.  He added his own uncertainty, fears, and doubt.  He also added his hope, optimism, and joy!  He played the melodies back perfectly, and in order!  

The second Skull Kid exclaimed "Awesome!  Your playing goes beyond that of even a Kokiri, much less a Hylean!"  The first Skull Kid said, "You have won your trial, Kokiri!"  He tossed the piece of life-force container to Link, who caught and absorbed it immediately.  

The first Skull Kid continued "Our plain faced brother is content to haunt the forest forever!  If you find a way to make his face scary, he will be truly happy!  But my brother and I have grown tired of haunting the forest!  If on your travels you find the power or spell, please free us, that we may grow up and live as ordinary Kokiri."  

Link answered, "I'm not sure I'll ever find the power to do that!  If I can, though, I'll try.  But why are you and your brothers here, anyway?"

They answered, "As we remember, many centuries ago, we were ordinary Kokiri children.  We were disrespectful to the great Wizard of that time.  The wizard rebuked us, which made our father angry.  Our father drew sword against the Wizard and killed him!  The Wizard's son, in his grief, cursed us to our fate!  He regretted doing this, but even _he_ couldn't undo the spell!  We have wandered the forest ever since.  Our brother has grown to like this way of life, but we never did.

Link said, "I'll do what I can."  

The first Skull Kid replied, "My brother tells me you are called to save the forest!  That must come first!  But if you can free us too, we will be grateful.  If we can help you in any way, whether you free us or not, let us know, and we'll do it!"  

Saria answered "Thank you, nameless friends!  Link and I must be going."  

The Skull Kids said, "Go with fortune, friends!"  

Saria answered "And you, nameless friends!"  The two Skull Kids disappeared!  Link and Saria climbed the ladder out of the ravine, Link going first.

As Link helped Saria up from the ladder, he noticed a large gong on the opposite side of the sunken clearing.  It hung from the lone branch of a tall, dead tree trunk, and was level with the two Kokiri who looked wonderingly at it.  

He asked, "Have you noticed that gong before?"  

"No.  I wonder where it came from."  

"I'll ring it, and find out."  

Link drew his fairy slingshot and shot the gong three times dead centre, ringing it loudly enough to wake the dead!  A deku scrub stood sprouted up from the top of the dead tree trunk.  It said loudly, perhaps from deafness, "That was wonderful shooting!  I must reward you for your skill!"  The deku scrub spit a large seed bag out at Link and disappeared, taking the gong with him!

Link caught the bag and examined it.  The bag was larger than the one he had been carrying.  It contained forty deku seeds.  He handed his old seed bag to Saria, and put the larger one on his belt where the old one had been.  He said, "I'll figure out how my slingshot is made, and make you one.  It will be much easier to use for hunting than snares."  

Among the Kokiri, men and women both hunted and gathered.  Saria was good with a snare.  But it hurt her feelings to have to kill the hare, squirrel, or bird close-up.  She thanked him with a kiss, and they walked out of the Lost Woods into the Kokiri village.

Mido woke up almost in a panic!  He grabbed his sword as he jumped out of his chair!  He grabbed his shield, and ran out of his house at full speed!  He ran into the morning sun, and straight into the backs of Link and Saria, who had just returned from the Lost Woods.  He knocked them both to the ground!  

Link and Saria both got back on their feet.  Saria was furious.  Mido was stunned for a moment by the force of the collision, as he had run full into Link's shield.  Then, he recognized who he ran into!  He panicked, and genuflected behind his sword, as he saw his father do to the old duke years ago.  He then panicked more, because Link wasn't supposed to know yet!  He froze in fear, cowering in mid-genuflect before the last two fellow Kokiri _anyone_ would have ever expected him to fear!

Saria said in her mind to Link "Beloved, will you kick him, or should I?  I've lost my patience with his jealous games!  First he knocks us to the ground; then he mocks you, acting like you were the King of the Hyleans!  And this, as you go on an errand _he_ should have been doing!"  

Link answered her in her mind "Beloved, I think he meant to apologize for being mean.  If so, I will chide him a little for being so clumsy, and be done with it.  We will have to live in this village with him for many years to come.  You always told me you wanted nothing to do with being a Chieftain's life-mate.  If we treat him too roughly, you will be bonded to a Chieftain, and Mido will be out of a job!

Link drew his sword, and started to tap Mido on the shoulder, continuing what he thought was Mido's joke.  Then, he saw into Mido's heart, and wished he had looked first.  He was not able to read all, and understood even less, but what he saw convinced him that Mido was neither joking, nor trying to humiliate.  

Instead of making Mido 'Sir Loin of a Kokiri, The Knight of Passionate Coupling' he said this.  "Brother Chieftain, you pay homage to me I've yet to earn!  But your bravery in doing this, your concern for my well-being, and your faith in my skill impresses me.  I declare you War Chieftain of the Kokiri, should I ever be able to do so.  You will be my Strong Left Arm here, for I am left-handed.  You will fight my battles for our Forest People here, while I am forced to fight our enemies in their own houses!"  He taped Mido on the right shoulder, then the left, then the right again with the side of his sword, saying, "Arise, brave War Chieftain!"

Mido got up, embarrassed, and unsure of what to do.  Link said, "Brother War-Chieftain, my life-mate and I were looking for you to bless our wedding, seeing the Great Deku Tree is no more, and his son has yet to sprout.  I apologize for our not having sought you out before the wedding, but even we didn't know the time until it was upon us!"

Mido answered, "No apology is needed, brother!  The two of you have already blessed each other far more than I ever could.  But, I, Mido, Chieftain of the Kokiri bless your wedding in my name, and in the names of the Late Deku Tree and his sprout, when it sprouts.  Be happy and fruitful!"

Link and Saria answered, "Thank you Mido!"  

Link added, "Mido, I would like to talk with you before I continue my journey.  I will need to take my leave of Saria first.  Would this be ok?"  

Mido answered "I would be honoured, Link!  If I may, I'll join you for a few minutes of your journey.  You have a long way to travel, and I wouldn't want to delay you."  

Link responded "Great!  I will meet you by the bridge."  

Mido said "Thank you, Link!" and went to the bridge to wait.

Saria told her new life-mate, "Beloved, I know you must leave again.  But I'm still sad at your leaving."  

"As am I, Beloved!  But leave I must.  I will work that much harder to finish my quest quickly, that I may come home for good.  I go next to the City of the Gorons, to find the Fire Ruby!  If I can, I'll stop back before I go to the Zoras to retrieve their sapphire!  We also have our song to bind our hearts together.  We should be able to talk to one another, at least sometimes."  They embraced, and kissed.  They had been walking.  They were by the ladder to Link's house.  

Saria said, "I think I will stay here while you are gone.  We haven't decided yet where we will live once you return.  I'll feel closer to you in the house where you grew up."  

"As will I to you, beloved!" Link answered.  

Saria said, as she climbed the ladder, "Hurry back, and safely!"  

Link answered, "I will."  He then turned to the bridge, as Saria entered his house.


	12. To Visit a Lady

Chapter 12 (morning of the fifth day of spring) 

He walked up to Mido.  As he passed, Mido turned and walked along side of him.  They walked without talking over the bridge and out to Hyrule Field.  As they came into the field, Link asked "Mido, what was your dream last night?  I saw a glimpse of it in the village; else I would have truly wronged you when you ran into us.  What I did see of it scared me."

Mido walked silently alongside Link, blanched to the colour of snow.  He regained his composure and answered.  "Though it doesn't surprise me that much, since the Helfdane twins told me about your new fairy, it's still unnerving that you can see into my mind."  Link started, but both Kokiri continued to walk while Mido kept talking.

"With the Great Deku Tree dead, only Navi remembers the times when Ivanhoe walked the earth from their own memories.  But it was well known that Navi's powers combined with his own allowed Ivanhoe to read the hearts of all, as if he were _himself_ a Great Deku Tree.  You didn't know this?

Link answered, "I've only just been recognized as one of _us,_ as well as being just recognized a man, Mido.  I didn't know I _couldn't_, or that I _shouldn't_ read your heart!  I've just been used to doing it with Saria, and her with me, that I forgot.  Sorry."  

"No problem, Link.  Like you said, you would have embarrassed me far worse than I had already embarrassed myself if I hadn't.  But I have more explaining to do yet.  Does Saria know Navi is your fairy?"

Link answered sharply, "Yes, and how do _you?"_

Mido answered, "I apologize on my own behalf, and that of the Helfdanes.  For different reasons, we both tried in the past day or two to prevent your wedding.  The Helfdanes told both Saria and I that Navi was your fairy.  I believed them, Saria appeared not to.  You know you are the 'Child of Destiny,' right?"

Link cringed at the words, and replied, "I forbid even Saria to remind me of that claptrap!  But obviously, I can't shirk the responsibilities I've been given.  Saria accepts this.  I only tolerate it!  If the Hyleans had thought me so important, then perhaps their King should have avoided sending soldiers to help the Gerudo murder my mother!  Or, perhaps they should have raised me themselves, may the Creatoresses forgive me such a vile thought!"

Mido said, "The Helfdanes knew you would be required to travel far and wide, at the certain risk of your life.  They believed that neither you nor Saria would willingly marry, at least not until _after_ you had done whatever tasks you were supposed to do, lest your death kill Saria by grief.  I also hoped for one more chance to gain Saria.  I know _I_ was wrong, will you ever forgive me?"

Link answered, "I forgive all of you, brother.  And no, she must have thought you all lied, though she knows now for a certainty."

"But why would my parents have pledged me to the Princess, and how would such a pledge be accepted?"

Navi answered, "There was no pledge, only prophecy.  Think no more of it!  After all, you _are_ a bonded man."

Link said, "I guess you're right."  He turned to Mido and asked, "But what of your dream?"

Mido replied, "There is much of that dream that I am not allowed to tell you.  But I can tell you this.  I know you seek the Triforce, on Princess Zelda's orders.  This quest was always yours, and yours alone.  I was also visited by the ghost of my father.

"When you first came to the Forest, I swore that I would care for you as a brother.  But, when Saria sought your affection, and rejected mine, I became jealous and broke my oath.  My father reminded me of this last night…"  

"You have my forgiveness, if that is what you seek" interrupted Link.  He than said "With the Great Deku Tree dead, you will have enough worries for today without yesterday's worries needlessly distracting you."  

"I thank you brother!" Mido answered.  He continued, "I will help you in any way I can on your quest, but will need some help myself.

"I have not thought about really leading our people.  Until The Great Deku Tree died, I didn't have to!  The Tree did much of my job for me.  But now, the Tree is gone!  Though I still feel his spells protect the Forest, and the Lost Woods will still trap all outsiders, I am scared.  

"The deku baba had not grown within the woods at all until the day you went to try saving The Tree.  On that day, there were three of them.  Yesterday afternoon, there were four!  I will have the Helfdanes help me with shovel and fire this afternoon, and clear them out.  But these things _never grew this close to us before!  _

"I'm afraid I will have to fight real monsters while you are gone, and that I will be the coward and run!  The Helfdanes refuse to take over from me, as they always have!  You are off, fighting the greater threats to the Forest in their homes.  There is no one to replace me if I fail, and I don't think I can succeed!  Let me borrow some of your courage, that I may be of help to you!"

"Mido, you've already started to find the courage you seek!  I saw in your dream that you thought me in danger!  You ignored all concern for your own safety, grabbed your sword, and ran out to save me from harm!  Though I would prefer next time you tackle my _attacker_, not my life-mate and me."  Mido blushed in embarrassment.  

Link continued, "I jested there, brother!  Your acts this morning should bring pride, not shame!  After you realized where you were, you humbled yourself before me far more than I deserved, and _meant it!  __You apologized for bumping into __me!  For you, that must have taken great courage, indeed!  For courage is not the lack of fear, but the _defeat_ of that fear, and the doing of what needs to be done!  It's never easy to be truly brave, but it becomes more natural with practice._

"But why _did_ you bow to me like that?  Our people have never done this."  

Mido answered, "I didn't even think about it, I just did it.  And I'm not allowed to say why, but it was right that I did.  I need to get back to the village.  You might want to visit Lon-Lon Ranch before you go up Death Mountain.  You may find some help there.  Good bye, brother, and walk with fortune!"  

"Thanks, Mido.  Walk with fortune yourself, brother."  Mido turned back to the Forest.  Both he and Link continued to walk their own ways.

"We _should_ go to Lon-Lon Ranch first, Link!" Navi said.  "Mido actually had a good idea.  And he's starting to grow up."  

Link asked, "Could _you_ tell what his dream was, Navi?  What could have made Mido change that much, that quick?  And what is this 'Lon-Lon Ranch' that Mido would know of it, where I only knew of it in the past few days?"  

Navi stretched the truth, but not much when she answered, "He had a dream of what could happen if we don't get the Triforce before Ganondorf!  Beyond that, I can't tell.

"And Lon-Lon Ranch is the largest estate between the Forest and Hyrule Castle Town.  They used to buy 'fairy bottles' from us when we could still make them.  In order to assure your success, we need to get a fairy bottle or two.

"These bottles are used to carry healing potions, so that if you get injured, you can heal yourself.  These bottles also keep food and drink from spoiling or causing illness.  Fairy Bottles also allow a Kokiri to keep a healing fairy at his side, so that if he is _really hurt,_ he may heal himself, or if he is at the very edge of death, the healing fairy will restore him to life all on its own!  Finally, the milk of Lon-Lon's cattle acts as a healing potion to Kokiri."

Link asked, "Do I have enough money to buy bottles and healing milk?"

Navi replied, "You should, in any case you need to have them before climbing Death Mountain!  Have I led you wrong yet?"

"No."

"Have you bonded to Saria?"

"Yes."

"Then quit complaining and get going!  I want to get to Lon-Lon before nightfall, and it's already the third hour past dawn!"

Link took off at a dead run, and didn't slow down until he reached the pathway to the plateau upon which Lon-Lon Ranch stood!

Truthfully, Navi _couldn't_ tell too much about Mido's dream, other than that it changed him, probably for life.  But what she could see, she couldn't tell Link!

Link was not to know about who his father was, and who _he was, until he was at least eighteen.  Navi had promised this to The Great Deku Tree, along with the Helfdanes, who __she thought were the only ones who knew.  Now, Mido knew!  Weldo had come back from the dead, and told him!  But _why?_  How would Mido's knowing who Link was help anyone?  She didn't have time to consider that though.  It was now mid-afternoon, and they were at the path leading up to the plateau where Lon-Lon ranch stood._

Navi said, "We should be able to get some help here.  As I said this morning, this ranch used to buy fairy bottles from us, and at one time, this ranch sold its milk in them rather than the clay pots they use now.  Malon also seemed to like you.  She may be willing to help us."  

They walked up a path that curved upward, first to the right, then the left.  This path brought them up onto the plateau on which the ranch stood, and into the ranch itself.


	13. Life on the Farm

Chapter 13 (mid afternoon, fifth day of spring) 

Link and Navi walked into the ranch.  On their left was a two-story timber and wattle house with a one-story attached section built of the same materials.  On their right was a stable building, built of logs.  They went into the attached section of the house first.  They found out that it was a cucco coop.

The coop had about twenty cuccos in residence.  The cucco, now known as the Hylean Spring Chicken, is easier to raise in captivity, grows larger than other breeds, and both hen and rooster crow loudly at the rising of the sun, even when newly hatched.  Though they, like other chickens are flightless, they are stronger fliers than other breeds, and they are also slightly magical.  A boy or a Kokiri could use one almost like a parachute.

Talon was leaned up against a line of crates, near one corner of the room.  He was enjoying a late-afternoon nap.  Navi quickly read Talon's thoughts, then she spoke to Link in his mind.  

"Link, I have an idea!  Talon sometimes has children come up to the ranch to visit.  He plays a game with them.  He has three special cuccos that he is very proud of.  He has the kids pick out his special cuccos from among the rest of the gaggle.  If they pick the cuccos before his hourglass runs out, he gives them a bottle of milk!  If they don't, they pay him ten rupees.  

"See the cucco he's holding in his lap?"  Link looked at the cucco.  He couldn't tell the difference between it and the other ones.  Navi continued, "The other two are sitting on top of the crates behind him.  Here's my plan.  I can tell the difference between the special cuccos and the ordinary ones!  Talon is also groggy when he first wakes up.  If you toss the other cuccos between the crates and the wall, they will stay there for a minute or two, and Talon won't realize it.  This will allow us to pick the hybrid cuccos before the time runs out."  

"But Navi, wouldn't that be cheating?" Link asked.  

She answered "No more than expecting kids from the town who don't raise cuccos to pick out hybrid cuccos from a bunch of ordinary ones in less than a minute, when Talon himself sometimes has trouble telling them apart!  Besides, he's short enough of fairy bottles that he won't just sell one at any price!  Let's quietly get these other cuccos out of the way."

Link wasn't happy about taking advantage of Talon, but did as Navi told him.  Navi wasn't happy about having Link do it either.  But, she figured she was only reclaiming her own handiwork!  When she and the other battle fairies had been healthy, _they made the fairy bottles, bringing rupees into the Kokiri people, and providing them with the bottles as well.  _

But, after Ganondorf cursed them, none of them had the strength to forge and enchant the glass.  Nor could they bond to a Kokiri workman to do it for them.  If they had the time, Navi could have had Link make his own bottles, and she could have enchanted them through Link.  But, even as quickly as he learned, it would take many months to teach Link how to work glass, time they didn't have.  And only a battle fairy, or a Kokiri Warrior bonded to one could work the glass of a fairy bottle.  If an ordinary Kokiri, or any other race tried, the spell and the bottle would fail.  Link quickly corralled the ordinary cuccos, and then woke Talon.

Talon was groggy, just as Navi said he would be.  "Mumble mumble… Huh?  I'm awake already!"  Talon looked at Link and said "What?  Well, I'll be!  If it ain't the forest kid from the other day!  By the way, thanks a lot for waking me up!  It took some doing, but I finally got Malon back in a good mood.  So, what are you up to today?"  

Link answered "I have some free time on my hands, and decided to come visit your ranch, sir."  

Talon said "Got some free time on your hands, you say?  Well, how about a little game?  These three cuccos I have here are special super cuccos!" Talon said, gesturing to the cucco he held in his lap, and the two that stood behind him on the crates.  

He continued, "I'm going to throw these cuccos into that there gaggle of normal cuccos.  If you can pick out these three special birds from among the normal cuccos within half a minute, I'll give you something good.  If you can't find them, I win.  It'll be ten rupees…  Want to play?"  

Link answered "Sure, sir.  I'd like to try!"  Link gave Talon ten rupees.  

Talon continued, "This hourglass is half a minute.  You have that long!  Start lookin'!"  Talon quickly tossed the three super cuccos out into the middle of the empty floor, and turned the hourglass over.  

Link ran to the first one, and picked it up.  "That's one!  Two more to find!  Toss it to me."  Link tossed Talon the cucco, and ran to the next one.  He picked it up, and Talon said, "That's two!  Now, the moment of truth!  One more to find!"  

Link tossed the cucco to Talon, and ran to the last one.  He picked it up, and Talon answered, "Golly, I'll be darned!  It's plum incredible!  That's the last one!  You've found them all!  Come on over here!"

Link approached Talon.  Talon said "Hey, you!  You've got the talent to be one of the world's best cowboys!  How'd you like to marry Malon?  Huh?"  

Link, who had just gotten married the night before, was quite nervous, but for different reasons than for a Hylean boy of his age!  He started to answer "No, sir!  She's nice…"  

Talon cut him off, laughing, "Haw, haw!  I was just kidding!  Just kidding!  I think you're a little young for that, aren't you?"  Talon laughed a little more, and Link laughed a little with him, nodding in agreement.  

Talon said "Oh!  I'm proud to present to you a sample of our very own Lon Lon Milk.  You'll be energized the moment you drink it!  After you drink it, you can bring back the bottle and buy a refill, anytime you want!"  Talon handed Link a fairy bottle full of Lon Lon Milk.  Link secured the bottle to his t-frame.  Talon said, "If you came to visit with Malon, she's out in the corral."  He then sat back down on the floor, leaned up against the crates, and went to sleep again!  Link was feeling tired then, so he quickly left the cucco coop before he joined Talon in sleep.

He walked across the road to the stable and went inside.  The stable had nine stalls along the outside walls, two of which held cows.  There was also a stall in the centre of the stable, which was forty-eight feet long by forty feet wide at its south half, and thirty-two feet wide at the north half.  Standing next to the empty centre stall was a young man, about nineteen years old.  The man had brown eyes, and dark brown hair, with a receding hairline on top.  But his hair elsewhere almost made up for that.  His eyebrows were long and bushy, and he had a long handlebar moustache.  His chest hair stuck out of the collar of his shirt, and the hair on his arms was also thick.  He was about five foot ten inches tall, and was a muscular fourteen stone.

Link walked up to the young man, who immediately complained about his fate to Link as a form of introduction.  "I can't believe that I, the great Ingovard, am working on this dump of a ranch!  Because the owner is so lazy, I always have to do all the work around here!  I, the hard-working Ingo, should be in charge, not that lazy bum, Talon!"  

Link asked, "How long have you worked here?"  

Ingo answered "Thirteen years.  I was orphaned in the wars.  I apprenticed out to the Duke of Hyrule, who owned this ranch before.  He made me his squire.  I helped him care for his armour, weapons, and horses.  Talon ran the ranch for the Duke then.  After the Duke fell in battle, and his family was murdered, the King gave the ranch to Talon.  

"I stayed on as a ranch hand.  At first, things weren't too bad.  But Talon has gotten lazier as he's gotten older!  His wife died in childbirth and the son was stillborn.  I've had to do all the heavy work by myself!  He's so lazy that his eleven-year-old daughter Malon runs the ranch as much as he does!  To believe that I, once assured of being a great Hylean knight, am now flunky to a lazy bum, who pays poorly, and has no gratitude in him!

"Tell him, if you dare!  He is Talon, Franklin of Lon-Lon" Ingovard spat out in disgust.  The sullen stable-hand stared coldly at Link.

Link answered, "It is not my place to say such a thing, whether it be true or not.  I am only a child by the calendar of your people, and a travelling stranger.  If you say we spoke thusly, I won't gainsay you.  If you say we haven't spoken at all, I won't disagree.  On my own, I say nothing at all."

The stable-hand let out a grunt of rage and frustration, and went back to work.  Link left the stable, and walked out to the corral.

The corral took up almost two-thirds of the stone-ringed plateau.  The ranch house and main stable were on the northeast corner of the plateau.  There was a lean-to shelter on the west side of the corral, which was the inside of a half-mile oval track.  There was a smaller barn on the southwest side of the plateau.  Link walked to the one gate of the corral, which was at the centre of the north straightaway.  He walked through the gate, and to Malon, who was almost in the middle of the corral.

Malon said, "Oh, it's the fairy boy again!  I heard that you found my dad!  How did you like the castle?  Did you see the Princess?"  

She giggled, and continued.  "Dad came home in a hurry after you found him!" she said laughingly.  

She then said "Oh yeah, I have to introduce you to my friend, fairy boy!  She's this horse.  Her name is Epona.  Isn't she cute?"

Link answered, "Yes, Malon!"  As Link said that, Epona ran off into the distance.  

Malon said, "It seems like Epona is afraid of you, fairy boy.  My mother composed this song." The gregarious Hylean girl sang a few wordless notes and asked, "Isn't it nice?  Let's sing together."  

Link took out his ocarina.  Malon said "Oh, cute ocarina!  Are you going to play this song with that ocarina?"  

Link answered "Yes, Malon.  I don't sing very good, but I play very nice."  This wasn't exactly true, but he was much shyer about his singing voice than about his ocarina playing.  

Like most Kokiri, his ocarina music was like his spoken voice, and he "spoke" the Forest Flute flawlessly and without shame.  His singing voice, though angelic, was something he held much closer.  Saria was the only one then living that had ever heard him sing.  

She said, "OK, this is the song.  She sang it through completely, and Link played it back to her.  It was a simple song, calming and relaxing.  When Link played the song, Epona came running to him!

Malon exclaimed, "Oh, Epona!  She's grown fond of you, fairy boy."  The young colt agreed completely with her mistress, nuzzling Link so vigorously that she scooted him a foot or two to the side.  

Link nodded in agreement, adding, "She must have liked the way I played your mother's song.  Thanks for teaching it to me.  It's very pretty."  

Malon blushed, and said "You're welcome, fairy boy!  I have to start cooking supper now.  Would you like to stay and join my father and me?"  

Link answered "I would like to Malon, but I have to get to Kakariko village today, before dark if I can.  Maybe some other time?"  

Malon was disappointed, but not hurt or offended.  She said "Sure, fairy boy!  It's been nice seeing you again!"  

They walked out of the corral, and towards the ranch house.  As they did, Malon asked Link "You don't seem interested in me like the other boys our age.  Why?  Do you have a girlfriend back in the forest, fairy boy?"  

Link answered, "Among my people, boys are called to be men much younger than among yours.  I already have a life-mate, which is what your people would call being married."

Malon was shocked!  She said "You!  Married?  How old are you, really?"  

He replied, "I'm only eleven.  My birthday was the first day of spring."  

She exclaimed, "That's amazing!  I'm only two days older than you, but you are already married?"  She was disappointed.  

Link said, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.  Can we still be friends?"  

Malon was relieved.  "Sure, fairy boy!  I guess I never asked you if you had a girlfriend."  She continued, "In a way, I'm also kind of glad you're married.  You're cute, and I like you a lot, but you also make me feel like we were family.  I mean like you were a brother or a cousin.  Do you know what I mean?"  

Link answered "Yes, Malon.  You made me feel like that, too!"  And Link _did feel like that!  He thought back to his earliest memories._

He could actually remember some things from when he was an infant!  He didn't remember his father, but he remembered his mother.  She gave Link the reddish-blond colour of his hair.  But she wore her hair as Malon did.  Her blue eyes would make a matching pair to Malon's.  She even had the same shape to her face.  But those memories were painful for him.  

He remembered how she looked before the fire, and how she looked _after!  How horribly she had been burned!  How she had carried him for what seemed like forever, over moonlit fields, chasing a strange floating ball of light.  He remembered their entering into a dark, scary forest!  He remembered how she had handed him to a small man with pointed ears, saying "Link, remember that I'll always love you.  Good bye, son."  _

He remembered how the man tried to shield him from his mother's dying, yet how he _saw_, how he _felt her passing!  The man took him into the heart of a tree, and sat him on a bed with a girl who was just over two.  He said, "Now you two behave, while I talk to the Great Deku Tree."  The girl had been crying, just as he was now.  The two children sensed each other's loss.  The toddler crawled up next to Link, and held him in her arms.  Somehow, this consoled the both of them…_

"Link!" Malon said.  They were at the door to Malon's house.  "I thought for a minute you were sleepwalking!" she said.  She then asked with some concern in her voice, "And what made you sad?" 

Link answered "I wasn't sleepwalking."  He dried his eyes wordlessly and continued, "When you said I reminded you of family, you got me thinking about my mother.  I was very young when she died."  

Malon answered "I was only six when my mom died.  Dad took it much worse than I did, but I missed her terribly.  I still do."  

Link answered, "I miss mine, too.  I guess that's something that stays with you.

The sylvan warrior announced, "I need to get going.  If I may, I'll stop by to visit again."  

Malon answered "Sure, fairy boy!  Next time, bring your 'life-mate' with you!  I'd like to meet her."  

Link answered "Sure, Malon.  Good bye."  They each went their own way, Malon into the house, and Link towards Hyrule Field.

"Link, we need to stay here for right now," Navi said into Link's mind.  "I feel the presence of a piece of heart container.  It will also be a good idea to search the plateau for spiders of the curse."  

They quietly and quickly moved back into the main part of the plateau.  It was now dark, and they had the plateau to themselves, or so they thought.  They stood by a tree next to Talon's house.  Link heard the now familiar scratching sound.  He looked up, and saw a gold skultullah in the top limbs of the tree.  He ran into the tree, shaking it, and the monster fell to the ground.  Two quick shots, and the beast was dead.  He collected the token, but he still heard the scratching sound.  He looked up.  On the shutters of the second floor window was another gold skultullah!  

"Navi," he asked silently, "How can I get that one down?"  

She answered, "Right now, you can't!  We might find a way to recover tokens like that later.  It will do no good to kill it now, either!  If you don't claim the token, the spider will just grow back."  They looked around, and found no more spiders.  

Navi said "The piece of life-force container I sensed was toward the other end of the plateau.  I think we should go that way."  They walked quickly towards the barn on the other side of the corral.

As they walked, Link noticed a large number of birds flying ominously overhead.  He couldn't tell exactly how big they were, but he could tell that they were neither small nor friendly!  Navi warned, "Those are keese!  They will probably attack us, so be ready!"  

Link started to run as fast as he could.  He could see a gold curse-spider on the outside wall of the ranch.  It appeared to be just within reach if he were standing by it.  He was suddenly struck in the back!

The force of the blow almost knocked him down!  It knocked the wind out of him, leaving him staggering.  He drew his sword and turned around as the next keese came in to attack!  He hit the eagle-sized raven with his sword, knocking it out of the air and killing it.  This was quite an achievement since the large, raven-like bird weighed almost half of what he did!  He turned back towards the curse-spider, which was now just fifty yards away.  Looking at it more closely, he could see that it too was just out of reach!  He ran to the outside wall of the plateau to give himself some protection form the malevolent birds.  He looked around the area.

The birds seemed to be paying him little notice at the moment.  He worked his way south along the wall, watching the skies carefully for the newly discovered dangers they held.  They found themselves outside the small barn.  As Link continued to watch the area, he barely saw the glint of another curse-spider on the back wall of the corral lean-to.  

He asked silently "Navi, how close are we to the piece of life-force container?"  

She answered "I sense it inside the barn.  If you want to get the spider, I suggest we get it first.  The life-force container will heal you when you claim it.  We may need that more after we claim that spider."  

Link continued to work his way around the outside wall of the ranch until he was directly across from the spider.  He ran at full speed to the back wall of the lean-to.  He hit the curse-spider twice with his sword, killing it.  As he claimed the token, he sensed something behind him.  Link drew his sword and spun around, killing a keese!  

He ran across the open field directly toward the door of the barn!  As he ran, the keese started to line up to attack again!  He found that he could hear the rustle of the wind in their feathers as they flew in from behind.  He heard the rustling, and spun!  Another keese was knocked from the sky in pieces!  He was obliged to kill one more keese before he reached the barn door.  The last keese yielded life-force, which he gratefully claimed.  The barn door was unlocked.  He quickly entered the barn, gaining a degree of safety, for the moment.

The barn was twenty feet square inside, and the ceiling was at least forty feet in the air.  There was one window, on the south wall, almost thirty feet in the air.  The only door was on the east wall, where he had entered.  There were two cows and a pile of hay in the northwest corner of the barn.  There was a cart leaned against the north wall.  There were numerous farm hand-tools leaned up against the walls, and there were six crates lined up haphazardly in the southwest corner of the room.  

He asked in his mind, "Navi, do you sense the piece of life-force container in here?"  

She answered, "Yes.  I sense a chamber behind the crates."  Link jumped up on the crates, and looked more closely at the corner itself.  He noticed the edge of an opening hidden behind the crate that was in the corner.  He jumped down between it and its neighbour to the north, and pulled the offending crate as far as he could.  He jumped on the crate, and then into the corner where it had previously sat.  He pushed it the rest of the way against its neighbour to the north, opening the way to the passage, which was barely larger than the one that led into the Hole of Z.

He entered the passage.  He immediately saw the piece of heart at the other end of the passage, on a small pile of hay.  He crawled the length of the passage, and emerged in an irregularly shaped stone room that was about twelve feet square with an eight-foot ceiling.  The only things in the chamber were the pile of straw, and the piece of life-force container which he absorbed the very instant he brushed against it.  Seeing no reason to remain, he left the chamber.

He asked Navi, "Did that piece of heart belong to Talon?"  

"No.  It was never his.  He doesn't even know the chamber is here.  These empty crates haven't been moved in years.  If he knew the piece of heart was here, he would have taken it."  

"Whose was it, then?"   

"I can't say.  But I'm sure they would have wanted you to have it."  

Link pushed the crate back into the corner of the room.  He and Navi then left the barn.

They circled counter-clockwise around the corral, staying along the outside wall to make a less tempting target for the keese, which were still circling overhead.  At the west end of the south wall, they found a hole in the ground.  

Navi stated, "Link, that is a grotto.  Only Kokiri can see them.  Sometimes, they hold things we'll need, like fairy help plants.  We need to explore it."  

Link asked "Ok, but how do we get _out_ of the grotto once we've finished exploring?"  

She replied, "Look down the hole.  See the glow?  That is a fairy step.  It blocks the hole to all non-magic creatures.  For Kokiri, it allows you to jump into the hole without hurting yourself, and tosses you gently out of the hole when you leave."  Link and Navi entered the grotto.

Inside the grotto, there were three business scrubs.  Link quickly defeated them.  The first two offered to sell Link deku nuts and deku seeds at prices higher than at the shops in his village and Hyrule Castle Town.  He refused to buy, and the scrubs quickly disappeared.  The third scrub offered to sell Link bombs.  He almost bought the bombs, but Navi stopped him.  

"You have no way to carry them yet, Link!  If you bought the bombs, they would all explode at once!"  

After the third scrub disappeared, Link thought to Navi, "I thought you said that business scrubs wouldn't try to attack again after they were defeated."  

Navi replied in his mind, "They don't!  But they don't care if they sell you something you can't use, or that will hurt you, either!"  

"So, it's 'buyer beware' then?"  

"Yes.  Let's get going" she finished.  The two adventurers left the grotto using the fairy step.

They continued to circle around the corral.  They found nothing else of interest, and soon were back at the ranch house.  Navi said in Link's mind "_Now, it's time to go to Kakariko Village."  _

Link and Navi ran down the path, and back into Hyrule Field.  Link was attacked by several stalchildren.  He quickly outran them, rather than taking the time to fight them.  He ran to stone bridge over the Hyrule River that was just west of the stone steps leading up the hillside to Kakariko Village.  They crossed the bridge, and ran to the Kakariko Village Steps, arriving at the village an hour and a half before dawn.


	14. The House of Jardain

Chapter 14 (Before Dawn, sixth day of spring) 

At the entrance to the village, there was no locked gate.  There was a guard, though.  Link walked up to the guard, who said "Hey, son, what are you doing wandering around this late at night?"  

The guard, though only one yard and three quarters tall, was as muscular and fit as the guard at the gate to Hyrule Castle, and he indeed wore the same type of uniform.

This guard was also quite mad.  He answered his own question, saying, "Oh, I get it.  You're testing your courage, aren't you?  You must want to go to… a graveyard!  There is a graveyard on the east end of town.  Legends say you can calm the souls of the dead with an old song of the Royal Family.  What am I _doing, wasting my time talking to you?  I've got work to do!"  The guard turned away from Link, much to the relief of the Kokiri Warrior.  Link walked through the gate and into the village._

Navi said silently to Link, "We need to explore Kakariko Graveyard."  

Link incredulously exclaimed in his mind, "You mean I need to prove my _courage?  With all the monsters we've slaughtered between the Great Deku Tree's heart and Hyrule Field, what could a _graveyard_ possibly hold?"  _

Navi answered, "You'd be surprised.  But that's not why we need to go there!  There are some things there we need to check.  But we'll do that after redeeming your curse tokens."

Link and Navi continued to walk.  They found a sickly looking young man with a shaved head sitting against a tree, holding his head in his hands.  As Link walked up, the stranger raised his head.  He told Link "People are disgusting.  My own father and mother are disgusting.  You must be disgusting, too!"  

Link ignored the strange man.  He heard the rustle of a curse spider up in the top of the tree.  He couldn't get a clear shot at it up in the branches.  He cut some tall weeds away from the base of the tree, and rolled into it to knock the curse-spider down.  The spider fell to the ground, and Link claimed the token with two blows of his sword.  The strange man leaned up against the tree didn't even notice.  Link then explored the village further.

He explored the north end of the village first.  He found the gate to Death Mountain, which was closed and guarded.  He was not ready to go up the mountain just yet, so he turned around.  On the north end of a house to his right, he saw a curse-spider on the wall above some clay pots.  Navi said, "You can break those clay pots to get the curse-spider.  Unless you want them to stay broken, they will put themselves back together in a few minutes."  

Link was incredulous, but did as Navi told him.  Killing the curse spider gave him nine tokens.  He walked back towards the south.  He saw a ladder on the north end of a tall wooden tower.  On the ladder was another curse-spider!  He shot it twice with his slingshot, and quickly climbed the tower to claim the token.  He looked around the village from the top of the tower.  Then, he quickly climbed down.

He went back down to the centre of the village.  He heard the now familiar scratching sound in a partially completed building.  He climbed onto the building, and the curse spider was on the side of a stack of bricks.  Two quick chops later the token was his.

From his vantage point, Link saw another curse-spider on the south wall of another house.  He jumped down from the brick pile, and the unfinished building itself.  He ran to the side of the house, and struck the deathblows to the gold skultullah, claiming his prize.  He now had twelve tokens.  

Navi told Link in his mind "This is the house of the family that was cursed!  Let's see if they will give you a reward!"  

Link checked the door.  It was unlocked, but hadn't been opened in years.  Navi said in Link's mind "I don't think they will mind your just walking in, Link.  I don't think that anyone has helped them yet, judging by how long this door has been unused!"  Link opened the door and walked in.

He found himself in an entrance hall that was twelve foot square by eight feet tall.  There were no windows, and just the one door.  But there was no north wall to the room.  It opened into the great hall of the house, which was square shaped, each side being thirty-six feet.  The ceiling was eighteen feet tall at the walls, and taller in the middle.  There were four large skultullah like creatures in the rafters in four corners of the room, and a huge skultullah like creature in the rafters in the middle of the room!  There was also was a man in his mid twenties, who was jumping up and down with joy, oblivious to all that was around him!  

Link asked Navi silently "Are the skultullahs in the ceiling the cursed family?  And what about the man in the corner?"  

She answered, "Yes, they are.  I sense the young man was a skultullah himself until just a few minutes ago!"  

"Can the ones that are still cursed speak?"  

Navi replied, "Yes.  The one in the middle is the father of the family.  You should speak to him first.  Walk close to the middle of the room, and he will drop down to talk to you."  

Link did as Navi said, and the huge spider dropped down to hang just above the floor.  It greeted Link gratefully, "Hello brave warrior, and thank you!  You have already rescued one of my sons!"

Link asked, "I have heard of the curse, sir.  What is your name, and how exactly did you suffer this horrible fate?"  

The spider answered, "Before the curse, I was Jardain.  This hovel used to be my counting house, along with my five sons.  At the end of the wars, the great Duke of Hyrule asked me to let his wife and infant son stay here with me in secret.  He didn't tell me why, but I sensed that he was going to mount an attack against the Gerudo, against the King's orders.  I refused, but not because refusing was right.  It wasn't!  And, I didn't fear for my life, or the lives of my sons from the King's wrath, either!  The King would never have dared moved against our lives or freedom.  But he would have drawn his money out of his accounts with my counting house.

"Now, all counting houses make their money from loaning out money, or by honouring what are called "bills of exchange."  Not many people know this, but there is a large world outside of the Realm of Hyrule.  There used to be some travel between the rest of the world and here, perhaps there still is.  But anyway, because counting houses loan out money, they never _physically_ _have all the money that has been placed on deposit with them.  If enough depositors try to draw out their money at once, the counting house is destroyed, just as surely as if you broke a weaver's loom or cut off the arms of a warrior!  _

"The only business my sons and I knew was running a counting house.  If the King had drawn out all his money, our counting house would have been ruined!  We would have been destitute, and unable to get people's trust to ever run a counting house again!  So, I refused.

"The Duke was killed near the Gerudo Valley, supposedly by robbers.  His wife and infant son, who were at his ranch in Hyrule Field, were also killed!  My sons and I were horrified, but paid it little notice otherwise.  

The night after this happened; the ghost of the Duke visited us.  I argued with the ghost, saying that we would have been ruined, and could not have guaranteed the safety of his family.  The ghost was so furious, that he placed this curse upon us!  He sealed it into one hundred golden skultullahs, and hid them throughout the realm!"

Link asked, "Sir, Do you regret not having helped the Duke?"  Link felt Jardain's anger well up, but only for a moment.  

The giant cursed arachnid responded sadly, "Yes son, I do.  The curse did have something to do with it, at first!  But, as I've thought about it, I've regretted it for a different reason altogether!  You will find there are things in life more important than riches, if you don't know it already.  One of those things is duty to your family.  Another, though, is the duty to do what is right.

"I found out not too long after this curse was placed upon us that the Duke's son was _not_ murdered!  The child would be about eleven now.  I don't know what circumstances he was raised under for sure.  But I was told that he was raised as an orphan, which among the Hyleans is a poor, sad way to grow up!  Had I not been cursed, I could have seen to the young man's safety, comfort, and education.  This could never bring his parents back, but it would have reduced his suffering.  

"I have been unable to do _anything_, though!  All the treasure I had was sucked into the bodies of the curse-spiders, or into my body and those of my sons!  Even if I could have found someone not afraid that they would be cursed too for entering my house, I had no way of finding the boy, or sending money to ensure his comfortable raising and education.  This has been far more painful for me than the curse itself!  This young boy has been wronged by me twice, when I didn't even mean to wrong him once!"

Link silently asked Navi, "Does this creature speak the truth?"  

Navi answered, "It does, and it speaks from the heart.  Even with his son restored to normal life, even with hope for his other sons, the grief can almost be touched with the hand!"  

Link asked Jardain, "Can I trust you with a secret?"  

The spider answered, "I already owe you the life of one of my sons!  I am in your debt and service forever, for whatever the service of a giant house-bound spider is worth."  

Link said in reply, "I am under the orders of Princess Zelda of the Hyleans and Sheikahs.  I am to gather the three Spiritual Stones to unlock the Temple of Time.  I'm then supposed to help the Princess gain the Triforce.  

"Ganondorf is trying to gain the Triforce to take over the world, and the Princess wants to get it first, to stop him.  I'll do what I can to lift the curse against your house while doing this, but I can't guarantee finding so much as one more curse-spider.  I will need your help, though.  I need to know how to find these spiders.  I will also need a place to sleep for a few hours, and any other help you may be able to offer.  If you can't help me, or don't want to help me, I'll understand.  I'll still kill the curse-spiders that I find.  But if I fail to stop Ganondorf, your curse will be the least of your worries."

Jardain replied, "You ask a lot, yet ask almost nothing!  You haven't even mentioned personal reward, although I sense that was part of what originally brought you here.  You will have all you ask.  If I may, I would like to ask one other thing in return."  

Link said "What would that be, sir?"  

"The rewards you get from each of my sons are yours, and should help you on your quest.  The tokens are pure gold, the gold the King and the Duke had on deposit with me.  The Duke's gold belongs to his son, if he still lives.  The other depositors were made whole by the King after this happened to me, and I got into this mess by caring too much of what the King thought.  I ask that you split the proceeds from recasting the gold with the son of the Duke, if he lives.  I owe that boy as much."  

Link answered "Yes, sir.  If I may, I'd like to leave these tokens here with you.  They are quite heavy, and can't be spent in the form they're in now.  I can claim rupees from the weeds and grasses of the field with my fairy-sword, so I have no need for them now.  After I've finished my quest, I'll recast them myself."  

Jardain was impressed.  He said, "You are a strange hero.  You have the body of a Hylean boy.  But you dress as a Kokiri, and carry yourself as a young adult of their people.  All you lack… "  Jardain stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed Navi for the first time.

Link said, "I was a Hylean orphan who the Kokiri took in and raised as their own.  But my Hylean parents were commoners, not nobility.  And among my people, it was said that the Duke's son _was_ killed!  I became Kokiri myself, and except for missing my parents, knew no want.  Among my people, the Duke of Hyrule was a great hero.  If I find his son alive, he will be my brother, and the brother of all my people!  I may make a band for my life-mate, if the Duke's son will let me.  Otherwise, _all the gold is his!"  _

Jardain said, "It will be as you ask.  By the way, what is your name?"  

Link answered "Link, sir."  Jardain was astonished, but only for a minute.  It made perfect sense, and was as the Duke said it would be.  

He said, "Ok, Link.  After you talk to me, you will need to talk to Arthur, to break his trance.  He will give you a large moneybag, so you can carry more money without losing it.  When you wish, I can tell you any legends or lore that I know that may help you.  The curse will lift from my sons, one at a time, for each ten curse-spiders you kill.  Each son has a treasure, and will give it to you the next time you visit.  All one hundred spiders must die before the curse is lifted from me.  The part of my treasure not cast into the curse-spiders is embedded in my body, and will be released.  It will be here for the Duke's son, or if he is dead, for you, as you asked.

"There are some tricks to finding the spiders of the curse!  First of all, you'll have to hunt at night, or in places where evil dwells.  Secondly, keep in mind that they love to burrow into soft soil to hide.  Pay close attention to your surroundings!"  

Link answered "Thank you, sir.  I'll talk to Arthur, and go to sleep for a few hours.  Do you sleep?"  

Jardain answered "No.  We neither sleep, eat, nor age while the curse is upon us.  If we are freed, it's as if the years of the curse never happened.  But if the curse is not lifted, we will die like this in eighty-nine years.  When do you want to be awakened?"  

Link answered "Mid-morning, thank you sir."  

Jardain said, "As you wish, Link!  Please talk to Arthur."  Link turned around, and walked over to the young man.

Arthur, Jardain's eldest son was in his mid twenties.  He stood five feet and three inches tall and weighed just over ten and a half stone.  He had average features for a Hylean, neither being excessively handsome nor in any way ugly.  His hair was dark brown, and starting to recede, thus giving him a "four and a half-head."  His brown eyes weren't focused, but that appeared to just be the trance.  He was clean-shaven, and not particularly hairy, but not particularly un-hairy either.  He was dressed as any prosperous commoner of the time would dress. 

Arthur looked at Link, and woke up completely.  He exclaimed, "Thank you!  The curse has been broken!  Please take this as a reward."  Arthur handed Link a moneybag.  He said "Sir, that money bag will hold up to two hundred rupees, and is now full."  

Link said, "Thank you, Arthur.  Your father told me your name while we talked."  

Arthur replied, "The euphoria of being freed put me in a trance.  I don't know any of what Father told you.  He will tell me though."  

Jardain said, "Arthur, this young man's name is Link.  He is a Kokiri warrior who is working for Princess Zelda.  But don't tell that to anyone without Link's permission!  He is our house guest from now on, whenever he feels the need to be!"

Link had a thought.  He said "Jardain, what fortune do _you_ have?"  

Jardain answered "Nothing.  But we will get by somehow."  

Link replied "You will take back some of the gold from these tokens, sir.  Until I've freed all of you, you won't be able to return to your old livelihood.  I will not have you impoverished on my account."  

Jardain was astonished again!  He said, "Thank you again, Link!  Your generosity is a credit to your people!"  He then turned to Arthur.  He said "Son, after Link has gone about his business, you will need to clean this place up.  Your brothers and I will hide up in the rafters during the day.  Once we get this place cleaned up, we need to see if we can return to business!  But Link's success comes before that!  If he needs our help, he has it!  He is doing more important work than just rescuing us.  He must succeed!"  

Arthur answered, "Yes, father!"  He then turned to his Kokiri benefactor and said, "Link, you are our first depositor.  How many tokens do you have?"  

Link answered "Twelve.  And they're heavy, too!"  

Link handed Arthur one of the tokens.  Arthur said, "It feels like it weighs at least five pounds!  After you've slept for a while, I'll see where our scales have gone to.  I'll weigh them, and give you a receipt.  Make yourself comfortable wherever you like.  What you see is what we have."  Link rolled out his bedroll and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

Navi remained awake.  After Link was asleep, Jardain said "Navi, please come closer."  She did, and Jardain continued.  "Does the boy know who he is?"  

She answered, "No, Jardain, and neither you, nor Arthur, nor any of your sons may speak of it in his presence, nor in the presence of anyone who doesn't already know!  He doesn't need the distraction that would provide.  I'll tell him myself when he needs to know.

"But it wouldn't change his mind if he did, nor will it change once he finds out.  He is quick to forgive.  You and your family have suffered more than you deserved.  He not only sees this, but he showed it to me.  He's your friend, and without fresh cause will remain so."  

"My sons did, and it drove my wife to suicide!  But if such a fate could be deserved, I earned my fate!"  

Navi replied "I was not with him when he did this!  Your not aiding Link and Junia was despicable!  But you surely didn't deserve this!"  

Jardain answered, "The Duke thought the same way, later on Navi.

"When he cast this curse, I was still trying to make excuses for not helping him.  He was almost insane with grief for his wife, and Link.  He returned a few months later, right before the Helfdanes had visited his tomb.  He tried to lift the curse, but couldn't."  

Navi answered "No.  He should have known better.  This kind of curse can only be lifted…"  

"By the son of the one who cast it" Jardain finished.  "The Duke said as much.  When last I saw his spirit, he did not know his son still lived.  _I didn't know for sure until the curse was lifted from Arthur._

"Did the boy speak the truth of his upbringing?" Jardain asked.  

Navi replied clinically, "He does and he doesn't.  He knew no material want among his people.  Among the Kokiri, only those too lazy to find it lack in food, raiment, or shelter; the forest provides all.  However, he was not only _raised Kokiri, he __became one!_

"But the Great Deku Tree failed to notice this.  Link longed to have a guardian fairy, like the rest of his people.  The other children taunted him for not having one.  Though he didn't, and doesn't harbour any ill feelings toward anyone because of this, it brought him great anguish.  

"But he also prospered beyond measure.  He won the heart of the Wizard's Daughter, and she is his life-mate.  He has learned skills that bring him admiration among his people, and will see to his becoming wealthy indeed.  His valour and selflessness are a credit to any people.  Your gold would have done him no good then, unless it could have brought his parents back, or given him a guardian fairy."  

Jardain asked "But aren't you…"  

Navi answered "I am his guardian fairy, and I am bonded with him, unlike his father.  But I only became his guardian fairy when he started on his quest, not even one week ago.  No, your money couldn't have helped him.  But you can help him _now, as you said you would."_

"I'll do that, Navi.  I could do nothing else" Jardain answered.  "But he seeks the Triforce!" the spider continued.  "Will my help be enough?"  

Navi answered, "He'll need all the help he can get.  The world can't afford to see him fail."


	15. A Priceless Bottle on the Cheap

Chapter 15 (sixth day of spring) 

Arthur awakened Link at mid-morning.  Link got up, put on his boots, and rolled his bedroll.  Arthur asked him "How much do you know of magic, Link?"  

The Kokiri answered "Not much, Arthur.  Why?"  

Arthur said, "The carpenter's daughter tends some cuccos to the back of Impa's house.  Her cuccos have all gotten out of their pen!  The young lady offered me a bottle like yours if I could help her corral her cuccos!  She said that it was magic, and quite valuable.  I tried to help her anyway, because it was the right thing to do.  But the cuccos were too fast for me!  How much is that bottle worth?"  

Link answered, "If it's like the one I carry, it is a 'fairy bottle,' and it's priceless!  Only fairy bottles can hold magic potions, or carry healing fairies.  I don't know if anyone even makes them anymore.  Do they, Navi?"  

The fairy answered "No.  The Kokiri Battle Fairies used to make them years ago.  But when Ganondorf cursed us, we no longer had the strength to forge the glass!

"But you can use another one!  Let's corral the cuccos for the lady!  Maybe she'll give _us_ the bottle, Link!"  

Link said, "Thanks for telling me this, Arthur!  And thanks again to you, Jardain, for letting me spend the night here."  

Jardain answered, "Thank _you_, Link!  Go with fortune."  Link left the once and future counting house and entered into a sunny mid-morning in Kakariko Village.

Kakariko village was triangular in shape, with the corners being north, southwest, and southeast.  The southwest corner led to Hyrule Field.  The southeast corner led to the Kakariko graveyard, where important Sheikah and Hyleans were buried or entombed; even the Royal Tomb was located there.  A sentry and a closed gate guarded the north corner.  This path led up Death Mountain itself.  The village was set on four levels.  The lowest held the village common, well, and inn.  The next highest level ran along the south of the village.  Several houses, including Jardain's house, Impa's old house, the village windmill, and the cucco coop stood on this ledge, along with the entrance to the graveyard.  The top two ledges were in the north end of the village.  They held several shops and homes, and the village tavern.

Link walked to the cucco coop, which was next to the path to the graveyard.  He saw the woman there.  She appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, and looked more Hylean than Sheikah.  She was five and a half feet tall, and weighed about nine stone.  She was an attractive woman, with dark red hair and green eyes.  Link asked her, "What's wrong, ma'am?"

She said, "What should I do?  My cuccos have all flown away!"  She paused, and spoke again.  "You, little boy, please!  Please help me bring them back to this pen!"  

Link said silently to Navi, "She has a lot of nerve!  '_Little boy?'_"  

Navi answered, "Be patient, Link!  You _are_ only eleven!  Among the Sheikah, that makes you a boy, not a man.  And you aren't even four feet tall!  Besides, she will give you the fairy bottle you need."  

Link asked, "How can you tell?"  

The fairy answered, "I can see into her heart.  She will be so grateful once we've penned her cuccos that she will give you the bottle without your even asking her for it!"  Link accepted this, and set to work penning the fugitive fowl.

He spied the first one at the opposite end of the village.  He knew it was her cucco because hers was the only cucco coop in the entire village.  He sprinted across the width of the village and quickly plucked the cucco from the ground.  The bird immediately started crowing and flapping its wings!  Link said silently to Navi, "This bird is _strong!  If it were any stronger, it could fly!"  The fairy answered, "They _can_ fly for short distances!"  Link replied as he ran the bird back to the coop, "Well, this one is flying home!"  He gently tossed the bird back into its coop.  The girl exclaimed "Thank you!  Only six more to go!"_

After recapturing the first two-and-a-half-stone bird, Link was tempted to tell the girl _where_ to go!  But he saw the second and third birds!  The second bird was only fifteen short yards away!  But the third bird was on the other side of a tall fence Link had no hope of ever climbing, much less while carrying a chicken weighing almost half of what he did!  Navi thought quickly, and gave Link an idea!  

"Link, you can get to the cucco beyond the fence without any trouble!  Take the cucco closest to us and catch it.  Then, run up the stairs of the windmill, and jump across to the porch rail of the shop behind the fence!"  Link answered in his mind, "I couldn't make that jump empty handed!  How will I make it with a thirty-five pound cucco in my arms!"  The fairy retorted, "You won't carry the cucco, it will carry _you!  Hold it by its lower legs.  When you jump, it will try to fly__"  Link was almost disbelieving.  But he had seen so many things in the past days that were unbelievable that he decided to try it!_

He ran to the second cucco and picked it up.  He then ran back towards the cucco coop, turned to his left, and ran up the stairs of the windmill!  He ran past the windmill door, and jumped off the rail-less end of the windmill porch!  With the cucco's furious flapping of its wings, he was carried gracefully the twenty feet to the porch rail of the fenced-in shop!  He let go of the cucco and grabbed the porch rail, letting the cucco drop down to the ground outside of the fence.  He climbed over the railing, and stood on the porch itself.  To his left was the door to the shop.  To the right of the door was a sign that read:  "Granny's Potion Shop."  Below that was a hand-written note, which read:  "Closed.  Gone for Field Study.  Please come again!"

The shop building itself was a strange affair.  It had no windows, and was sided with rusty iron sheets of various sizes.  It was forty-eight feet wide and sixty feet long.  It had a stone foundation that stood almost a full story high.  Link paid little attention to the shop, though.  He still had cuccos to corral.

Cucco number three was below him on the ground.  Cucco number four was on a very tall ledge, which was in fact part of the foothills into which Kakariko was built.  But, there was a ladder leading up to the ledge.  Link jumped down from the porch for Granny's Potion Shop, and grabbed cucco number three.  He climbed back up the steps, and threw the large fowl over the railing to the ground outside the fence.  He jumped off of the porch again, this time landing at the base of the ladder.  He quickly climbed the ladder and caught the cucco.  He jumped off of the tall ledge, cucco in hand, aiming for the coop.  He floated gently down ten feet from the coop, with the help of the cucco.  He threw the bird into the coop, then recaptured cuccos two and three.  He deposited the birds in their pen, then started to look for the other three birds.

He found cucco number five on a fenced off ledge on the porch for Jardain's former counting house!  But he had no way to get it without another cucco!  He looked around, and found cucco number six hiding behind a crate next to the inn that abutted the west side of Granny's Potion Shop!  He used cucco number six to float from the unfinished building onto the ledge.  He threw that cucco off of the porch, toward the coop, and grabbed the bird that was roosting on the ledge.  He jumped off of the porch, and floated gently toward the coop.  He deposited cucco number six, then recaptured cucco number five, and deposited it.

He had to go all the way to the north end of Kakariko Village to find cucco number seven!  But find it he did!  It was sitting out in the open, waiting for him to catch it.  He caught the bird, and ran back to the coop.  He deposited the last wandering cucco into its pen, and turned back to the carpenter's daughter.

She said, "Thank you for finding my cuccos!  I have allergies, so I get goose bumps when I touch them.  For helping me, I will give this to you.  It's fine glass, and should be useful.  Please take good care of it!"  She handed Link a fairy bottle.  Link tied the fairy bottle to his t-frame.  He then said, "Thank you, ma'am.  If you're allergic to cuccos, how did you come to be keeping them?"

The woman answered, "My brother was keeping them.  But he hasn't been well for the past few years.  I keep them for him, until he gets better."  Link replied, "I hope that's soon ma'am."

The woman replied, "Thank you, young boy.  What is your name?"  Link answered, "Link."  Just then, the woman noticed Navi floating overhead.  She blushed, and stammered, "I'm sorry, _sir!_  I thought you were _Hylean…"  Link replied, "That's all right.  By the ages of your people, I _am_ still a boy.  And _my_ people don't travel abroad that often anymore."_

She replied, "You are truly a gallant person, Link, whatever your age!"  He said, "Thank you ma'am, I must go."  She asked, "Do you go to visit the Duke's grave?  Go with fortune."  Link replied, "And you, ma'am."  He turned to the graveyard path and walked.


	16. Matters of Grave Importance

Chapter 16

Link walked the quarter-mile long winding path to the Kakariko graveyard. The graveyard, like Kakariko Village itself was settled into a excavated ravine in the side of the foothills at the base of Death Mountain Volcano. It ran east to west, and was irregularly shaped. The area just outside the gate where Link stood was one hundred twenty feet wide along the solid fence, and ran sixty-eight feet from where the path widened to the gate. The graveyard proper was wider, with all the extra room on its north side. It was one hundred sixty feet wide north to south and two hundred twenty feet long east to west. Its sides were fairly straight, but the land of the graveyard itself sloped upward on both sides, and as it got farther away from the gate. This formed several terraces. For the eastern most sixty-eight feet, the graveyard narrowed irregularly to a width of forty-eight feet, right behind the large capstone for the Royal Tomb. Above the graveyard to the east was a fenced off balcony with a dark entryway. On all sides, the sides of the ravine rose for over thirty feet. Trees grew densely for what appeared to be a narrow strip; the bare rock of the mountain was visible beyond that. A series of paths ran through the graveyard. In some places the path was cobbled, in other places, it was bare dirt.

Link stood close to the open gate of the graveyard. He looked to his right, and saw a sign. The sign read: "Heart-Pounding Grave-digging Tour! From dusk to curfew. —Dampé the Gravekeeper. Link asked, "What is this 'grave-digging tour?'" Navi answered, "Dampé does that to entertain the wealthier children of the village, and to make extra money. He has the kids follow him around the paths of the graveyard. When they think he's standing over a small treasure, they tell him to dig. If he digs up something, usually rupees, they keep it. They pay him ten rupees a hole, whether he digs anything up or not. But there is a piece of heart container buried somewhere along that path! Dampé _couldn't_ know it's there, or else he would have dug it up and sold it! But he'll dig it up for _us_ tonight!"

Link looked further to his right. Growing in a corner formed by the graveyard fence and the side of the ravine was a patch of fairy help plants. Link went over to the patch and cut them down. He received seventeen rupees, and filled his seed bag back up. He saw a clod of dirt that was hidden by the weeds. He picked it up, and three blue-shelled miner beetles ran out from underneath. Link and Navi had an idea at the same instant! Link quickly took the empty fairy bottle he had just won in Kakariko, and scooped one of the beetles up in it! Link said in his mind, "This beetle might uproot some of the curse spiders whose burrows we've seen." Navi replied, "_Beetles._ Look!" Link looked at the bottle again. He had been _sure_ he had caught only one bug. But _three_ were in the bottle now! Navi said, "The fairy bottle did that. Though there is generally no use for that part of what fairy bottles do, we have a use for it now!"

Link put the closed bottle back on his t-frame. He asked silently, "How long can I use that cork to close the bottle before those beetles die?"

Navi answered, "Forever, if you like. The fairy bottle will allow the bugs to live without air, water, or food, and not suffer the ravages of time!" Link marvelled at this as he and Navi walked through the gate.

They stood before a huge marker stone. This was the stone for all the ordinary citizens of Kakariko. The King, and the wealthiest of the Kakariko villagers had tombs dug out beneath the surface of the tightly packed graveyard. The less wealthy had ordinary graves, and were buried one atop the other, until the plot was full. The poorest of the Kakariko villagers were cremated, and their ashes were poured into a deep hole, which was capped by the large stone Link and Navi were looking at. The stone had the following carved into it: "R.I.P. Here lie the souls of those who swore fealty to the Royal Family of Hyrule. The Sheikah, guardians of the Royal Family and founders of Kakariko, watch over these spirits in their eternal slumber."

Navi said silently, "Until quite recently, only Sheikahs lived in Kakariko. This is actually the Royal Graveyard. The Sheikah dead were only buried here because they served the Royal Family of the Hyleans. The Hylean graveyard is on the other side of Hyrule Castle town, and is larger."

The two adventurers entered the graveyard itself. Link walked up a hill to the north, and stood in the northwest corner of the graveyard. He found a squared, soft plot of dirt, similar to ones he'd seen in passing in the Lost Woods. And this time, there was no doubt! He sensed a curse spider in the earth beneath his feet!

He looked around the graveyard. There was a small boy wandering around the path in the southeast corner of the graveyard. The boy was paying him no attention at all. He removed the stopper from the fairy bottle, and poured the miner beetles onto the soft patch of dirt. He quickly scooped one of them back into the bottle, and placed the stopper back in the neck. He was tying the bottle back to his t-frame, and the curse spider almost landed on him as it leapt out of the ground! Two quick chops with the fairy sword, and another two-pound ingot of others' misery was in his possession. The weird little boy didn't notice at all!

Navi said, "We need to find the Duke of Hyrule's grave."

Link answered, "Yes. Since we're here, we should pay our respects to his spirit, if the legends of his being buried here are true."

Navi said, "The legend _is_ true! But he's not buried, he's entombed! Being the greatest of the noblemen, second only to the kings of the realm, he was entombed. The Helfdanes visited his tomb once, but I wasn't along."

The two adventurers looked to the south. Lower down the hill, they saw a headstone with forest flowers planted at its base. Navi said, "That's it! We even walked past it coming up here!" The two adventurers walked quickly down the path to the capstone, which looked no different than the headstones to either side. Link asked, "Are _all_ of these tombs, or are you mistaken about the Duke having a tomb?"

Navi answered, "Neither. Except for the Royal Tomb, and the Shadow Temple beyond, all the plots in this graveyard are required to look alike! If the person has a tomb, it is dug down deep below the surface, the higher your rank in life, the deeper your tomb. Many of the tombs have fairy steps in them instead of ladders, they're that deep!"

The two adventurers stood before the capstone. It was engraved "Arliss, son of Uther the Profound. Died in the fortieth year of Connor the Bold." Link asked, "Why is this all that's engraved on the Duke's capstone? I've noticed poems, and slogans such as 'Rest in Peace' and 'Beloved by all' engraved in other stones. But the highest noble, servant to the kings alone, is snubbed in his eternal rest! _Why?_"

Navi answered, "When the Duke was killed, he was not on speaking terms with the King of the Hyleans, to whom he owed his greatest allegiance. He was entombed, but the King of the Hyleans paid the minimum respect for the Duke otherwise. The Kingdom was not called into mourning. Besides the Kokiri, who had also lost our Chieftain and Wizard, few even knew the Duke had died!" Link said, "And I'm on a quest for a man such as _that?_ I guess I should find the curse spiders and go home!"

"No, Link" Navi said gently in his mind. "You spoke wrongly, and you know it. You are not out here for King Harkinian. He doesn't even know you live! And you aren't here for Princess Zelda, either! At least not _just_ for her. You _know_ Ganondorf wants to rule all the realm—he murdered the Great Deku Tree!"

"You're right again, Navi" Link replied silently. "But the Duke fought in the King's service for many years! He died serving the realm! Yet the King rewards him like _this? Why?_"

Navi paused a moment, and answered, "I can't give you an answer." The two adventurers contemplated the capstone in utter silence for a few moments more.

Navi said, "We need to go inside the tomb."

Link replied, "Why?"

The fairy answered silently, "We need to claim a relic or two from the Duke's Tomb, to assure victory. We fight the same enemy who felled the Duke eleven years ago yesterday. It's only fitting we carry a piece of the Duke with us to our final victory."

Link said, "I need to call Saria."

Navi replied, "Not until we're in the tomb. Go to the back of the capstone, and draw it toward you." Link obediently went to the back of the capstone. But as he touched the stone, the weird little boy shouted, "Don't cause trouble! I'll tell Dampé!" Link looked more closely at the irritating little boy who now was giving Link his full, undivided attention. The Sheikah boy appeared to be about five years old, of just larger than average size for a boy of his age. He pretended to hobble as an old man along the path around the graveyard, waiving a stick in the air as he went. Other than his bizarre way of passing time, the boy could almost be said to be "cute."

Link approached the boy, who now stood on the path near the Duke's capstone. He asked the boy, "What are _you_ doing out here, child?"

The boy answered, "Little kids can't go on Dampé's 'Heart-Pounding Grave-Digging Tour.' Since I can't do that, I'm just imitating Dampé the Grave-Keeper all day. But with my cute face, I'm not heart-pounding at all, am I?"

Link answered, "No, you're not." He added in his mind, "But you _are_ an inconvenient little pest!" Navi said silently to Link, "We'll visit the Duke's Tomb after dark, when this little kid has gone home! In the mean time, let's examine the capstone to the Royal Tomb." Link walked along the paths to the far east end of the graveyard.

As he did so, it started to rain. The little boy straightened up, and ran out of the graveyard, presumably for home. Two headstones flanked the capstone to the Royal Tomb. Link examined the one to his left, as he was facing the Royal Capstone. The inscription read: "Royal Composer Sharp the Elder. R.I.P." No sooner had Link read this, then a Poe came out swinging its spirit lantern and closing in for the kill!

Link quickly raised his shield and drew his fairy sword! The poe swung viciously, almost knocking Link's shield out of his hand! Link swung at the apparition, and injured the spectre! The poe dematerialised, and drew back. It swung its lantern again, and closed to attack once more! Link dodged the lantern, and hit the poe with a jump-attack, destroying it!

Link gazed on the blue corona of the defeated poe. It said in utter disbelief, "GYAAH! YOU KILLED ME! Unbelievable! Oh, what? You aren't one of Ganondorf's men, are you?"

Link answered, "No."

The ghost continued. "Because of my role as a ghost, I had to act like that. I apologize. Now then, let me introduce myself." The ghost cleared its throat and continued. "In life, I was Sharp the Elder, one of the Royal Composers.

"All the Sheikah, who used to be the only people who lived in Kakariko Village, were born to serve the Royal Family of Hyrule. My brother Flat and I also served the Royal Family. We were assigned to study the hereditary mystic powers of the family, as well as to be Court Composers. Though we never could figure out the power of the Triforce, we had almost completed our study of controlling time with the tones of ocarinas. Uh, I mean… Actually, we _did_ complete that study!

"We would have been famous, if that hateful Ganondorf had not tried to steal our results. We could never let him reap the fruits of our research! That's why we gave our lives to protect the secret."

Link asked "You and your brother _killed yourselves_?"

The ghost answered, "Yes. Had Ganondorf learned our secret, he would have killed us to prevent our sharing it with others. This way, he did not get our knowledge."

Link asked the spectre "I am serving Princess Zelda. She asked me to help me gain the Triforce. Ganondorf is trying to get it, and she wants to get it first. Would you share your secret with me?"

The ghost replied "Young man, there is a test to see if you speak the truth. Our secret is inside the Royal Tomb. If you serve the Royal Family, you will easily enter the tomb, and claim our secret. If not, you will never get it. If you do get in to the tomb, you will find a use for our discovery right away!" The ghost disappeared as quickly as it had originally materialized.

Navi said, "The Triforce Crest of the Royal Family is carved into the stones in front of the capstone of the Royal Tomb. Perhaps you should try playing Zelda's Lullaby there?"

Link answered silently "We may as well. That kid will cause all sorts of trouble if I try pulling the capstone away and going into the tomb." Link played the Song of the Royal Family.

For a second or two, nothing happened. Then, the light rainstorm got worse. Lightning crashed in the sky. The sun almost seemed to disappear, making the graveyard black as night. The capstone took on a green glow, then glowed bright white. The capstone suddenly exploded, throwing Link to the ground! The force of the explosion stunned Link, but he wasn't otherwise hurt. He lay face down on the ground for a moment, waiting for his head to clear. As his head cleared, the sun returned, and the storm weakened back to a light rain.

Link stood up and looked at where the capstone had stood. There was now a hole in the ground. He approached the hole and looked down into it. He saw the unmistakable glow of a fairy-step. Link silently told Navi "I guess we can go in now without moving the capstone." The two heroes went down the hole into the Royal Tomb.

Link found himself at the top of a twenty-two foot sloped passageway. The passageway was six feet wide, and had an eighteen-foot ceiling. At its lower end, it emptied into a larger room. Link looked at this opening, and saw a bat hanging from the top of the opening. He asked, "Navi, is that a bat, and should I kill it?" The fairy answered, "Yes. Whenever we find bats in places like this, we should assume that they will attack us if we don't get them first." Link shot the bat with his slingshot, killing it. He cautiously approached the opening, and stopped to survey the room beyond.

The chamber was twenty-eight feet long by thirty-five feet wide at its widest point. It was slightly octagonal in shape, and had at least a thirty-five foot ceiling. Link, in fact, couldn't see the ceiling! At the far end of the room was a stairway consisting of three steps, each one appearing to reach up to his shoulder if he were standing next to them. At the top of this stairway was a doorway blocked with a portcullis and a stone door behind that. There were two torch sconces atop the stairway, several Hylean skeletons strewn about the uneven damp floor of the chamber, and three fat, sleek bats guarding the chamber. Two were on the stairway, and the third was perched on the wall to Link's right. Link took his slingshot, and quickly killed the bats. When he killed the last one, the portcullis withdrew into the ceiling of the room. Link explored the room carefully.

Navi said, "I can feel words coming from two of the skulls here!" Link went first to one on the right side of the chamber. He asked, "What does this one say, Navi?"

The fairy replied, "It says 'Those who would break into the Royal Tomb will be obstructed by lurkers in the dark.'"

Link asked, "What does the other one say?"

She answered "It says 'Shine light on the living dead.'"

Link asked, "What does it mean, Navi?"

She replied, "I think it means we'll have problems. We may be seeing ReDead in this tomb.

"ReDead are cursed beings that are normally found only in tombs or dungeons. They are dead, but cursed to wander about, draining life-force from whomever they can grab! Their glance can also paralyse those unfortunate enough to be caught in it. If that happens, your only hope is that the paralysis wears off before the ReDead gets you in its grasp. Even with your extra strength, it would kill you easily!"

Link asked, "Is there any way to kill one?"

Navi answered "Some wizards know of a spell to paralyse one, but I never learned it. Also, direct sunlight will freeze them. They can be killed with fire, or with several sword blows to the back. I wouldn't try attacking one from the front, though. Their glance is unblinking, and would freeze you in mid-swing, until it grabbed and killed you."

"Should we even try to get the Magic Song, Navi?"

The fairy replied, "I think we'll need it."

Link exclaimed, "Ok, let's go," more to reassure himself than her. He climbed the stairway, opened the door, and went into the next chamber.

He found himself at the top of another hallway, just like the first. The chamber beyond was illuminated with a sickly green glow. He heard a series of soul-chilling grunts come from within the chamber. Navi said, "Those are the ReDead!" You can look at them, but don't let them look at you. The floor looks like it's flooded with tomb water. They cautiously went to the far end of the hallway and looked at the chamber beyond.

They gazed on a rectangular chamber, just as wide as the first chamber, but somewhat longer. There were four pools of tomb water, casting an eerie glow in the chamber. There were also four ReDead guarding the way. Each ReDead stood as tall as a Hylean adult man, and had normal proportions. But these bodies were a dull slimy brown! They wore wooden masks over what would be their faces. And they stank of absolute putrefaction!

The most direct way to the door beyond would have Link run through at least two of the pools. Navi said "Those pools are flooded with tomb-water. It will hurt you, but not nearly as bad as the ReDead will! See the hallway at the far end of the chamber? Run _straight_ to it as fast as you can! We can only hope that there is safety on the other end of that hall!" Link asked, "Will the ReDead chase us?" She replied, "They shouldn't. They're normally rooted to one spot, and can't travel too far beyond it. They can't open closed doors, or move from one room to another."

Link and Navi made a mad dash across the length of the chamber. The tomb water burned Link's legs as he ran through it, and sapped his strength. At one point, a ReDead paralysed Link! The paralysis wore off after only a second or two, but that time seemed like forever to Link! After crossing the room, he ran up the hallway. Fifteen feet later, he was in the main chamber of the tomb.

It was thirty-seven feet long, and twenty-three feet wide. It had a pool of tomb-water on each side that went just over half the length of the chamber, and were separated by a four-foot wide walkway. The far end of the chamber was raised up almost four feet above the level of the walkway. Another three steps went up to the seal stone of the Royal Crypt itself. There were two skeletons scattered to the right side of the central platform, and a third one scattered to the left. Two tall wooden braziers lighted the chamber with magic fire. Link walked to the far end of the tomb, and examined the seal stone. The seal stone was engraved with the following legend:

"This poem is dedicated to the memory of the dearly departed members of the Royal Family. The rising sun will eventually set; A newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun, Give peaceful rest to the living dead."

Link said, "That's an unusual epitaph. Had members of the Royal Family itself been cursed?"

Navi answered, "Not to be ReDead, no." A moment later, she exclaimed, "Remember that poem!"

Link asked, "Why, Navi?"

She answered, "That poem must be the spoken spell of enlightenment! If you recite that poem, you may be able to paralyse the ReDead with it!"

Link was about to turn away from the seal stone, thinking he had already received everything of value from it, when he saw some engraving on its lower left corner. He examined the engraving, and found it was written music! He was profoundly grateful that he had finally learned how to read music the way Hyleans write it, as well as memorizing the songs of his people like most Kokiri did.

He looked at the engraving, and played the music several times, committing it to memory. The last time he did this, he felt a rush of magic, just like that when he first played the song of the Royal Family! Navi exclaimed, "That must be the song the Royal Composers discovered! If it is, the ancient legend must be true!

"In ancient times, some wizards had a song they could use to change day to night, and night to day. They called it the "Sun's Song." They also used it to paralyse ReDead, and any other monster or evil which froze at the light of day, so they could kill the monsters in safety!"

Link asked "So, can we use this against the ReDead?"

Navi replied, "Let's try it. Play it from the entrance to the next chamber on the way out. We'll know real quick whether or not it works! And we need to get out of here anyway. You're starting to weaken from the vapours of the tomb water. Link and Navi left the main chamber, walked down the hallway, and stopped just outside of the chamber with the ReDead. Link played the "Sun's Song."

The three ReDead were paralysed, and turned a glowing snow-white! Navi said, "Let's go, Link! We'll leave these ReDead alone for now!" They stayed out of the tomb water this time, running past the ReDead safely but _quickly_, and ran to the hallway leading out. They ran up the hallway, opened the door, and were back in the first chamber. They climbed down the stairs, crossed the chamber, and ran up the last hallway to the fairy step. They stepped on the fairy step, and were out in the graveyard.

It was now about two hours after sunset. An old, stoop-shouldered man was walking the path at the other end of the graveyard, as the boy had been earlier. Navi said, "That must be Dampé. I don't think he can see us up here. The first tomb we need to visit is the second one on our left. If we run, we can get into it without being seen. Link ran to the capstone, and pulled it back. It opened a three-foot square hole with a fairy step at the bottom. Link and Navi jumped into the hole.

They found themselves in a small, single chamber tomb that was twenty feet wide at the widest part. The main chamber took up the last twenty feet of the length, the first twenty-five being a sloping entranceway. This entranceway was no wider than the fairy step at the start, but widened to the full width of the tomb at the end. There was raised platform at the far end of the tomb with three skeletons strewn around it. On the central platform were two lit torch sconces, and one ReDead sitting in quiet contemplation!

Navi said, "I didn't sense that! I did sense a piece of life-force container, and still do. You must have to kill the ReDead before you can claim it!"

Link said, "How do I do _that_?"

Navi answered "Play the 'Sun's Song,' get behind it, and chop it with your sword a few times. When it starts to turn around, quickly play the 'Sun's Song' again, and chop it a few more times. Do this until the ReDead falls down and disintegrates." Link was dubious, but decided to try anyhow. Navi had a pretty good feel for what he could do, and didn't seem to be in any hurry to die.

He played the 'Sun's Song.' The ReDead froze and turned white, seated where it was. He quickly ran behind it, and gave it three quick deadly blows with his sword. The ReDead stood up! It started to turn toward Link! Almost in a panic, Link dropped his sword, and grabbed his ocarina. His mouth was dry with fear, and he almost couldn't play! But play he did, and once more, the monster was paralysed. He picked up his sword, and struck the monster four more times, furious with himself that he panicked. This time, the monster fell dead, and a large wooden chest fell onto the platform from the ceiling. Link opened it, and almost saw the piece of heart container, before his body absorbed it. He felt an extra healing rush, and a burst of strength!

Navi said, "You've completed another life-force container! You are now almost as strong as _three_ Kokiri! Link marvelled at this for a moment. Navi said, "We need to get out of here. There's still the piece of heart buried somewhere along Dampé's path, and you need to get it. We also need to visit the Duke's Tomb before we leave here! Link ran to the fairy step, and left the tomb.

Link was back outside the tomb, with the capstone closed behind him. He heard a scratching sound up high to his left. He looked, and saw another curse spider about thirty feet up the side of the ravine in which the graveyard sat. He knew he couldn't reach the spider yet, but memorized its location, for a later visit. He looked down to the other end of the graveyard, and saw Dampé there. He ran to the gravedigger.

Dampé said "Hey, kid! Don't mess with the graves. I'm Dampé the Gravedigger. My face looks frightening, but I'm not a bad guy! Let me tell you about my side-business, Dampé's heart-pounding, grave-digging tour! What's gonna come out, what's gonna come out? When _I_ start digging, we'll _all_ find out! Ten rupees a hole, do you want me to dig here?"

Link answered, "Yes, sir."

Dampé replied, "You don't need to 'sir' me, boy, just pay up for each hole!"

Link said, "Ok. Here's ten rupees." Dampé took Link's money, and dug.

The first try, Dampé dug up five rupees. The second, he dug up nothing. The third time, he dug up a piece of heart, which surprised him more than it did Link!

Dampé said, "You're our jack-pot winner tonight, boy! This piece of heart is worth one thousand rupees at any potion shop that can buy it. Or, if you can eat it within an hour after you start eating it, and do the same with three more, you will become stronger, and live a longer life!"

Link answered, "That's great! Thanks, Dampé!" Link picked up the piece of life-force container, and instantly absorbed it. Dampé looked at him incredulously, as Navi came out into full view. The gravedigger said, "What's your name, boy? You look Hylean, but you _must_ be Kokiri."

Link answered, "My name is Link, Dampé. I was a Hylean orphan, which explains my looks. I'm a young Kokiri warrior."

Dampé answered, "That explains the piece of life-force container, and the fairy!

"I tell you what. See that grave down there, the one with the forest flowers?" Link looked down the hill at the grave and answered yes. Dampé continued. "That's the tomb of the Great Duke of Hyrule! He was a hero to your people! I don't normally let people go into the tombs. But seeing you have travelled all the way here, I'll let you go into the tomb! I'll even let you take a relic from the tomb to take back to your people, if you want."

Link answered "Thank you, Dampé! But why are you being so kind to me?"

The gravedigger answered "I was a friend of his lordship when he lived. He had a special affection for your people. But after he died, your Great Deku Tree stopped letting the Kokiri leave their forest at all. Warriors of your people were allowed to visit the grave but once, on the Samhain after his lordship was killed. They planted the flowers.

"His lordship's ghost has not rested easily these past years. I hope that your visiting the inside of the tomb will help him rest."

Link told Dampé "I'll do what I can. My people adopted me about the same time the Duke was murdered. I owe him my happiness, for I can imagine no other life for myself than the one I live, and that life is wonderful indeed. If I can help the Duke rest, then I can do nothing else!"

Dampé said, "Ok. If the fairy step is broken, give a holler. I'll wait until you leave the tomb before calling it a night." Link thanked Dampé; then he walked quickly to the capstone of the Duke's tomb. He pulled the capstone back, went around it, and jumped down the hole.

He found himself in a tomb almost the same as the one where he claimed the life-force container. But there was no ReDead here. There was only one skeleton, scattered partly on one side of the platform, and partly on the other. The back wall of the tomb had what looked like a bricked in doorway centred in the middle of the platform. There was a medium sized chest sitting on the platform. Link looked around and asked Navi "Who scattered the bones in here? Aren't nobles safe from having their remains desecrated?"

She answered "All who have tombs here are noblemen, or of high social rank and wealth! These times may be peaceful ones, but the grave robber still practices his foul craft.

"Open the chest, Link. You should find a worthy relic there."

Link asked, "I thought 'relic' meant bone or body part. And won't I have to take this back to our people right away?"

The fairy replied, "We'll see what's in the chest, first. And whatever we take, I think the Duke would have wanted you to keep it with you."

Link asked "I don't want to sound rude, Navi, but how would you know?"

She answered "I rode with the Duke for the last few years of his life, Link. I wasn't bonded to him like I am to you, but I got to know him just the same. I think he would want you to have what's in the chest." Link opened the chest, and found a Hylean shield.

The shield was made of sword-iron, and was three foot tall by two feet wide. It had the Hylean eagle and crest on it, and seemed to have another design over that. But Link couldn't make out that design. Navi was disappointed that there was only a shield, but hid this from Link. She said, "This shield will be a great relic, Link! Death Mountain is an active volcano! A deku shield would burn, leaving you defenceless! This relic will not only bring comfort to all the Kokiri people, but will comfort _one_ Kokiri in particular—with the safe return of her life-mate."

Link answered "You're right again, Navi. When she wakes up tomorrow, I want to try calling her, to let her know I'm doing ok."

Navi replied, "So you shall, Link. Let's go back to Kakariko Village. We have nothing else to do here."

Link started to ask "But what about the…"

She answered, "Don't worry about the Duke's bones. They'll be set to order in good time. Carry his shield honourably, and he will rest easily enough." They stepped on the fairy step, which worked fine, and were out of the tomb.

They walked slowly out of the graveyard. As they did, Navi spoke into Dampé's mind. "Where's the sword, Dampé?"

The gravedigger answered in his own mind, where only Navi could hear, "The carpenter stole it. His boy is mad because of it. Likewise, my friend the mill tender is mad from a piece of heart container, cursed likewise. Do you think that just because you rode with the Duke, that you can have his curse escape that orphan boy?"

Navi replied, "What do _you_ think happened to the Duke's infant son?"

Dampé said in his mind incredulously, "That's _him_?"

Navi answered, "Yes. Else, I would have had him _buy_ a shield. I thought you knew."

"No, Navi. I thought Link had died with his mother! But I thought it unusual for him to have _that_ name! And at first, I didn't recognize _you_. The Duke's ghost has been especially restless these past few months! I'd honestly hoped that having a Kokiri take a relic to the forest would let him rest easier."

Navi said, "His son is in great danger. He travels on Princess Zelda's orders. He is to help the Princess gain the Triforce before Ganondorf. The king of beasts has already killed the Great Deku Tree in his unholy quest." Dampé was horrified! Navi added "But he failed to gain the Kokiri Emerald, thanks to Link."

Dampé said, "The King isn't as stupid as in olden days, but will still be of no help. You're working on Princess Zelda's authority alone?"

Navi answered, "Yes. The King doesn't know of our travels, and it's just as well he doesn't. I have already considered the consequences of acting with such slight authority. I hope to stretch the Princess's authority just enough to do what is needed."

Dampé said, "This authority isn't nearly as slight as you think. The people already speak of 'Princess Zelda the Wise.' In some circles, she has more authority in fact than the King himself! Some are loyal to the King only because they would rather die than explain to Princess Zelda why they were disobedient to her father."

Navi replied, "That is good to know. Things will be easier than I thought."

Dampé asked, "You are staying the night at the inn?"

Navi answered "No. We've already lifted the curse from Arthur. We'll spend another night with them, and leave for the Gorons in the morning."

Dampé said "Go with fortune, fairy. My prayers are with you. And take care of the Duke's boy!"

Navi answered, "I'm _bonded_ to him Dampé, he's _Kokiri_, though I haven't figured out how he did it! I care for him like I care for my own life, because when he dies, so do I." Navi flew off to rejoin Link, as Dampé looked on in utter astonishment.

As they walked to Jardain's once and future counting house, Link asked "What was that about, Navi?"

She replied, "Dampé was an old friend of the Duke's. Through the Duke, I got to know him myself."

"Did you tell him of our quest?" the Kokiri asked.

His guardian answered, "Yes, he needed to know. He approved of your choice of relics, too." Link walked to Jardain's house, knocked, and entered. He told Jardain "Good evening, Jardain. I need to rest here again if I may."

The spider answered, "Fine. Do you want anything to eat, first?"

Link answered "No, thank you. I've got some deku nuts with me, and I'll get something to eat at the inn in the morning."

Jardain answered, "If you aren't hungry now, fine. But I beg for the privilege of providing your breakfast in the morning."

Link said in answer, "I won't hurt your feelings, Jardain. I'll be happy to break fast with you one hour after dawn." Link rolled out his bedroll, took off his boots, and went to sleep.

* * *

Saria joined Link in his dream. He said, "I'm sorry I forgot about you… She kissed him, stopping him in mid-sentence.

She said, "Beloved, _I_ had forgot that we lost our parents that day, eleven years ago! But that is the day we also found each other! It was only fitting that we should bond on that day! Except for missing you, it was just another day for me! After eleven years of absolute sadness on the fifth day of spring, I can just live that day happily like everyone else! I still miss Papa, and I know you still miss your mother. But the horrible sadness of the day is finally gone!" Link and Saria kissed each other again. They shared a dream of the forest, and both slept peacefully until an hour past dawn.

* * *

Link awoke to the smell of cucco eggs, bacon, deku porridge, and deku tea. As he put on his boots, Arthur came up from the basement of the house, with two plates, a pot, and two cups on a large tray. He said, "Good morning, Link! The plate with the porridge is yours. I hope your eggs are cooked thoroughly enough for you." Kokiri could eat cucco eggs, but had to have them almost burnt. Likewise, Hyleans couldn't eat deku porridge at all. Both peoples could drink deku tea, if it was brewed weakly enough; it was strong for the Hylean, without being too weak for the Kokiri.

Link said, "Thank you, Arthur. I'm grateful to share your meal with you."

Arthur replied "And I'm grateful to share it with you!" You notice how I've cleaned up the place?" Link looked around. The main room was not only cleaner, it was _clean_! Arthur continued. "I bought some eggs from the cuccoo lady by Impa's house. After I returned from Hyrule Castle Town with deku seeds, corn, and bacon, she _deposited money with me_! We're back in business, Link!"

Link answered "That's great, Arthur. But won't you have to loan money out to make money?"

Arthur replied, "That's the best part! I have two businessmen coming from Hyrule Castle Town to deposit money, and three more coming out to borrow! Plus I have one person from here who may come by to borrow money to finish their building, the one across from us. Some are still frightened by the curse, yet it gives them greater confidence!"

Link asked, "How's that, Arthur?"

He replied "Link, counting houses are robbed from time to time. When a counting house is robbed, if the money isn't gotten back quickly, the counting house usually fails. When's the last time you've heard of a cursed counting house being robbed?"

Link answered, "I haven't, Arthur." The young banker replied "And neither has anyone else! It will never make up for being cursed, and we'll be eternally grateful should you be able to lift the curse from all of us. But we are drawing fortune out of our own misfortune! That is almost as satisfying as having the misfortune itself removed.

"But my first duty is to help you on your quest! Is there anything you need before you leave, Link?" The boy answered "What can you tell me about Death Mountain, and the land of the Gorons?"

Arthur said, "Death Mountain is an active volcano. A Palace Guard watches the gate on the north end of the village. No one can go past that gate without the King's permission."

Link asked, "Will the Princess's permission work?"

Arthur said, "Only if it's in writing. Did her highness give you a note?"

Link answered, "Yes. It says, 'this is Link. He is under my orders to save Hyrule.' She signed it, and embossed it with her signet."

Arthur said, "It sounds a little melodramatic, but it should work. Princess Zelda is only fourteen, but she has unusual authority in her own right, apart from being the King's daughter. No Palace Guard would seriously think of disobeying her command!"

Link said, "Ok. What else do you know of Death Mountain?"

Arthur said, "There are monsters called tektites which threaten the path. Have you seen the little crabs in the bottom of streams or the Hylia River?" Link nodded his head yes. Arthur continued. "Imagine one as big as Papa, that didn't need water, and was both angry and hungry. That's a tektite. The Gorons themselves can be a problem this time of year. They roll down the path clutching bombs to their chests to prove their manhood to their women. If one were to hit you accidentally, it would hurt you badly. I've heard that they've had some kind of trouble with the mine where they dig for their food."

Link asked, "Dig?"

Arthur said, "The Gorons are the 'rock people' of the realm! Their bodies are like rock, and they eat several kinds of rock. They have a mine near their village where they dig their favourite rock. But I've been told that they've been unable to use their mine for several months."

Link said, "Thank you, Arthur! And thank you again, Jardain!"

Jardain answered "Thank _you_ for letting us help, Link. I'm trying to see if I can keep out of the painful sunlight just by drawing tightly into the rafters like my other four sons have. We'll need light for our customers to see by, even if we don't want them to see all of us!"

Link asked, "Is there any way I can help?"

Jardain answered, "Save Hyrule, keep yourself safe, and lift the curse. We will probably have the carpenter plaster a ceiling to the bottom of the rafters to hide us, and whitewash the walls. He is one of the people coming in to borrow money today. He will probably be grateful to do that to reduce the usury we charge on his loan, or maybe instead of the usury, it depends on how much he needs to borrow."

Link said, "I need to get going. I'll stop by again soon."

Jardain said, "Go with fortune, Link!" Arthur showed Link to the door, as a sign of courtesy.

As Arthur let Link out, the Master Carpenter was waiting to come in. He said, "Boy, you're too young to borrow money, especially from a cursed counting house!"

Arthur said huffily "Actually, sir, he is one of our largest depositors!"

The carpenter said "What? What kind of money could a _kid_ have?"

Arthur replied, "I normally don't reveal the private matters of our depositors. But, if I may, Link, this _Kokiri__ Warrior_ has thirty-two thousand, four hundred rupees on deposit with us alone!" The carpenter looked strangely at both Link and Arthur.

Link said, "Sir, I deposited this part of my fortune here because it was convenient, and safe. I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the service here. And if not, there are plenty of others who will be. I will make usury on my money whether you borrow or not."

Link quickly read the carpenter's heart and added "But where else will _you_ borrow money? I understand that the counting house in Hyrule Castle Town refused to loan to you, because your men are running behind here. And I don't think they have the reserves to loan to you even if they wanted to" he added to drive the point home.

The carpenter exclaimed, "Kokiri using _counting houses?_ These are strange times indeed! I'll borrow your money, and pay it back! Don't think that I won't!"

Link said, "I'm sure you will, sir. And Jardain and Sons is a reasonable counting house to deal with. You will be treated fairly." Link and Navi walked toward the north end of town, leaving the shocked carpenter and the amazed banker to do business.

* * *

As he walked up to the gate, Link played the song of his wedding. Saria answered in his mind "Good morning, beloved! I enjoyed our dream. Where are you?"

He answered, "I'm about to climb Death Mountain. I just wanted to say hello."

She said, "I won't keep you, then.

"But you feel closer to me somehow. It's been said that the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest used to be connected in many ways to the rest of the realm. It's true! If you hear our song, you're close to one of the places connected to the Forest! Listen for our song, beloved! I'm glad to hear your voice in my heart."

"As am I, beloved!" he answered, and they let the connection break. Link walked up to the guard.

The guard was standing to the left side of the gate that blocked Link's way. The gate was eighteen feet wide, and on the right end, stood a sign. The sign read "Death Mountain. No passage without a Royal Decree!"

Link walked up to the guard, and took out Princess Zelda's note. He said "Sir. I'm under Princess Zelda's orders. I need to climb Death Mountain." He then offered the note to the guard.

The guard looked at the note and said, "This is surely Princess Zelda's handwriting. He read aloud "This is Link. He is under my orders to save Hyrule." He laughed and said, "What kind of funny game has our Princess come up with now?"

Link answered angrily "I wasn't aware that the orders of one's sovereign were a laughing matter among the Hyleans! Perhaps _that's_ why she sent for a _Kokiri_…"

The guard said quickly "OK, OK, all right. You can go now! Just be careful, Mr. Hero!" The guard laughed again heartily, then he pounded the end of his spear sharply on the ground once. A second guard, inside the small gatehouse, retracted the gate, allowing Link to pass.

The guard said, "By the way, Mr. Hero…If you're going to climb Death Mountain, you should carry a proper shield! It is an active volcano, after all! If you go back to Hyrule Castle Town Market, you should check out Harper's Bazaar. They sell the shield you need there. Tell Harper I sent you and they should give you a special discount! If you think you're good to go already, don't worry about it."

Link said "Thank you, sir. I think I'll be all right, though. My iron shield is old, but not rusted through. Unless Harper stocks Kokiri-sized shields…"

The guard said, "I'm sure he doesn't." He looked at the larger of the two shields on Link's back. The looks troubled him, but he couldn't say why, and he said nothing to Link about it. However, he did speak again. "Now, I'd like to ask a favour of you."

Link looked at the man strangely. This guard had been rude to him, yet now wanted _his_ help? Link said silently to Navi "This man has guts! Let's see what he wants…"

The guard said "No, I don't expect you do to it just because of the great tip I just gave you, I'm just asking! Have you been to the Happy Mask Shop that just opened in the Hyrule Castle Town Market? Everyone is talking about it! If you go there, I'd like you to buy me a mask for my son. He's been pestering me for a popular mask for months, and I'd like to surprise him for his birthday. If you buy it, I'll pay you for it when you bring it to me."

Link asked, "Why don't you buy the mask yourself? Don't you have any time off?"

The guard answered "I work sunup to sundown seven days a week. The guard is short of people right now. My wife left me for another man two years ago. My son is nine, and does the shopping and cooking for us. We share our evenings, and that is all," the guard said sadly.

Link answered, "I'm sorry to hear that. The long hours must be especially hard for you."

The guard replied, "I know, but it's my job." The guard then sighed resignedly.

Link said, "I don't know if I'll be through this way again. But if I can, I'll get the mask for you." The two adventurers ran up the path to Death Mountain.


End file.
